Echoes of the Past
by DeeCee1430
Summary: AU: Late one night, Rey has a chance encounter with Poe leading the two on a mission of discovery about a little known figure of the Rebellion. Little does Rey realize that this mystery may lead to answers to her own past and that of her Jedi Master, Luke Skywalker.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

A/N: This is my first posted Star Wars fanfic. It is AU and involves an OC so you've been warned. There will be two timelines-Post TFA and beginning during the Original Trilogy. Sections in italics are the flashbacks.

* * *

Poe Dameron sat quietly in the deserted war room of the new Resistance base on Dantooine. The room was eerily silent this time of night. During the battle at Starkiller base, the Resistance sustained substantial losses and was in a rebuilding phase. The long ago abandoned Rebellion base seemed like the perfect temporary solution to the Resistance need for a base of operations. Even though this was not part of his duties as commander of Black Squadron, Poe often volunteered for the late shift, finding the soft beeping of the scanners and the dimmed lighting relaxing. These days he never slept much.

Briefly he glanced at the radar, verifying what he already knew. No signs of a threat. He then turned his gaze back to the data files and holovids spread before him. Poe squinted his eyes, focus evident on his face. So engrossed in his task, he barely noticed the approaching footsteps faintly echoing through the room.

"Who is she?" Rey asked as she stared at the projection of a young blond in a Rebellion flight suit. A week prior, Rey arrived on Dantooine with the famed Luke Skywalker in tow. No one knew the specifics of what happened while she was away but it was clear she was now studying the ways of the Force under the tutelage of the only Jedi Master.

Giving her a warm smile, Poe turned to face Rey's questioning gaze. "Her name was Thea Charaeysa. She was the leader of Black Squadron during the Rebellion."

"So what are you doing?" Rey asked plopping down in the chair next to Poe and looking at the data in front of him. Poe gave her an appraising look. Weariness shone in her eyes. He knew a lot rested on this young woman, and yet she hid the strain from most.

"I've been studying her for quite some time. She was a strategic genius but was a little known member of the Rebellion. I guess learning about her became something of a hobby. I remember when I was little I met her. My parents served with her. "

"Hmm," Rey said as she stared at the image before her. Absentmindedly, she pulled a ration bar from her robe. Splitting it, she offered Poe the other half. Gratefully, Poe shoved it into his mouth and chewed slowly, waiting for Rey to speak.

When she remained silent, Poe broke the spell of the rhythmic beeping of the scanners. "You might find this interesting. Her home planet was Jakku." Rey raised her eyebrows in shock.

"Jakku doesn't tend to produce war heroes. People rarely manage to leave the planet."

"Well, she certainly did in grand fashion," Poe replied. "She was with the Rebellion through Endor and stayed on with the Republic afterwards. For some reason, she never accepted a position higher than Commander, even though Ackbar, Rieeken and Madine recommended promotions on numerous occasions."

"Is she with the Resistance now?" Rey questioned, a strong sense of familiarity tugging at the back of her mind.

"No, that's where things get strange. It appears she died about fifteen years ago, however, her file doesn't provide any details. I guess she just remains a mysterious figure of the Rebellion," Poe responded as he shut off the holovid and closed his computer.

"I guess," Rey said quietly as she continued to stare where the image of Thea Charaeysa disappeared.

"I better go get some sleep. I have drills in the morning and my shift ended twenty minutes ago. Goodnight Rey."

"Goodnight," she whispered.

* * *

It was about three days later before Poe saw Rey again. As per his routine, he was on the late shift in the war room scrolling through his research on Thea Charaeysa. At some point in this project, his focus had shifted away from studying her military prowess. Now he wanted to know more about the person behind the grainy holovid image.

He didn't have to turn around to know who was approaching. Rey silently seated herself beside him, placing a steaming mug in front of him and keeping one for herself. "How you holding up?" Poe asked with a soft smile.

Rey tiredly rubbed her eyes. "I'm ok," she said quietly. Poe waited to see if she would continue but silence stretched for several minutes. Finally, Rey said, "I went to see Finn before I came here."

Clearing his throat, Poe met Rey's gaze. "I stopped in earlier today. There's still no change." He didn't know what made him do it, but the sadness in her eyes tugged at his heart. Without a word, he reached over and grabbed her hand, giving it a light squeeze. He knew now wasn't the time for platitudes. To be honest, they didn't know if Finn would be ok. They certainly both held out hope that he would be, but as the days passed with no change, the situation became bleaker. "How's training?" Poe asked in a feeble attempt to change the subject. "I haven't seen much of you lately. I take it Skywalker is keeping you busy."

Rey sighed, her focus on the holovid image of Thea Charaeysa. "It's going alright, I guess. I just have this feeling I can't shake. It's as if Master Skywalker is holding something back from me. I know that I can't know everything, but I can't let go of this nagging sense that he is being secretive."

"Well, Rey, that kind of comes with the territory. He is probably one of the most mysterious figures in our modern times. We will never really know the entire story about the rise of The First Order or his disappearance. The real question is do you trust him?"

Without hesitation, Rey responded, "Yes."

"Then I think you know all you need to know. And that's not to say there aren't things that he will tell you when the time is right. Now, how about we work on a mystery we can solve," Poe said gesturing to the screen in front of him.

Rey smiled. "Have you made any progress?"

"Of course not. I've been waiting for you. You're part of the team effort now," he laughed good-naturedly. "Now, I think we left off at the battle over the first Death Star. It looks like Commander Charaeysa and Black Squadron sat that one out, but she was apparently on the ground assisting Dodonna. She doesn't seem like the type to want to be anywhere else but in the air. "

"Reminds me of someone else I know," Rey said with a smile. "Have you figured out why she was grounded?"

* * *

 _Thea Charaeysa leaned against the hangar bay door of the Rebel base on Yavin 4 watching as her fellow pilots took a moment to relish their victory. She knew it would be short-lived because they would soon be in a relocation cycle. She wore a grim expression as she saw Wedge Antilles approach._

 _"Why the glum face?" he asked as he reached for a wayward lock of blond hair that had escaped her bun. When she didn't respond he gently tucked it behind her ear. "You know we won right?"_

 _"But at what cost, Wedge? We lost all of Gold Squadron and Red is now down to you and Skywalker," she responded. "Gold Squadron had no business being up there. They were ill equipped. It was Black Squadron's attack to lead."_

 _"So you're sulking because Dodonna grounded you? Thea, you almost died in that crash last week. The medical droids hadn't cleared you. In all likelihood, with your head injury, you would have gotten up there and been unconscious in minutes. Then your squad would have been distracted between trying to protect you and trying to complete the mission. There will be a time for mourning Gold Squadron, but with all the setbacks we've had lately, don't you think maybe we could enjoy this victory at least until the evacuation order comes down?" he asked lifting her chin so that her eyes met his. He could see the glistening of unshed tears. "I know that you mapped the attack with Dodonna. You did all you could, Thea. We all go into this knowing it could be our last flight." Silently she patted Wedge's chest and walked outside into the hot, humid jungle air._

 _Sitting alone, Thea stared at the night sky and her very green surroundings_ _._ _Growing up on the desert planet of Jakku, she was still amazed at the sight. The sound of footsteps interrupted her reverie._

 _Luke sheepishly scratched his head when the young woman stood and gave him a wary appraisal. "Sorry, I didn't think anyone was out here." He turned to go when her voice stopped him._

 _"It's ok. I was just getting some air." She gave him a friendly smile. "So you're the one that made the one in a million shot huh?" she questioned as Luke looked down shyly._

 _Luke outstretched his hand to her. "Luke Skywalker."_

 _Thea grasped his hand and couldn't help but smile. "Thea Charaeysa. Nice to meet you Skywalker. I better get going. It won't be long before the evacuation signal comes out. I'll see you around," she said before she went back into the warmth and light of the hangar bay. Luke stood watching her walk through the crowd of jubilant pilots, one picking her up and spinning her around before she continued out of sight. Wedge Antilles found him standing there, still looking where she disappeared._

 _"Hey Luke. You ok?" Wedge asked, clapping his squad member on the shoulder._

 _"Wedge, what do you know about Thea Charaeysa?"_

 _Wedge laughed. "I know she's a handful, Luke. C'mon. We better get packing."_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars or any of its characters.

A/N: Thank you to my reviewer and those that have favorited/followed. Please consider reviewing. Thanks for reading!

Poe exited the Dantooine base into the afternoon sun, heading for his X-wing. As he approached, he could see a figure that appeared to be working on his ship. Sighing, Poe reigned in his frustration. He had hoped the mechanics had already made repairs. He was anxious to get into space. For some reason, a nervous energy seemed to permeate the air. He wasn't sure if it was the impending news. He knew General Organa was still expecting the full assessment on the damage done by Starkiller Base. From what he had heard through whispers, General Organa was waiting on one of her most trusted friends from the Rebellion days to arrive with a report. Tension was high.

Even with the uncertainty looming, Poe couldn't help but grin when he recognized the figure above him. "Usually anyone messing with my ship is greeted with a blaster bolt," Poe called out as he approached Rey who was perched on the nose of his X-wing. Rey's cheeks reddened in embarrassment.

"Sorry. Sometimes fixing things clears my mind. The mechanics were behind and said you had a stabilizer come loose during your last drill. I thought I'd take a look," Rey responded as she started to clamor down the rungs of the ladder. Poe held his hand up to stop her.

"I'm just joking, Rey. I appreciate it. It means I don't have to wait two days before I can fly again. Thanks."

"It's no big deal." Rey jumped the last few rungs and landed with a thud on the tarmac. "You also had a crack starting in your targeting computer screen. I managed to find a replacement in one of the downed X-wings before the other mechanics stripped it for other repairs." Poe scrambled up the ladder and took an appreciative perusal of Rey's handiwork.

"If the Jedi thing doesn't work out, you could definitely be a mechanic, Rey." Smiling, Rey picked up a rag and wiped the grease from her hands.

"So when are you going to let me fly it?" Rey said as Poe came back down to join her in front of his ship. Poe let out a low whistle.

"I like you Rey but you're talking about coming between a man and his ship." Rey frowned, turning her pouting eyes to Poe's. For a young woman who hadn't had a lot of experience with the opposite sex, Poe noted that Rey was a fast learner. "I tell you what, I'll commandeer Jessika's ship and we'll go up together."

"You don't think she'll mind?" Rey asked hopeful.

"What Jess doesn't know can't hurt us," Poe said a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

* * *

 _A few weeks after the Battle of Yavin, Thea Charaeysa felt a nervous hum travel her entire body when a young deck officer approached. As she sat casually on the back of her X-wing, the jittery young man stood awkwardly waiting for permission to speak. Frustrated because she still hadn't been cleared to fly, she looked down at the deck officer exasperated. "Yes? What can I do for you?"_

 _"Commander . . .Ma'am, General Rieekan has asked for you to join him in his office immediately." Before Thea could question him, the deck officer scrambled away. Sighing, Thea hopped down and stalked her way through the hangar bay, a troubled expression on her face. She almost didn't see Skywalker and Hobbie pass until she heard a cheerful greeting._

 _"Commander," Skywalker greeted with a head nod. Without responding, Thea grimaced and continued her journey to Rieekan's office._

 _Luke turned to Hobbie and the other pilot shook his head. "They don't call Charaeysa the Ice Queen for nothing. Take some advice, Luke. Steer clear of that one. There is no playing nice with her."_

 _"I occasionally see her with Wedge. What's the story there?" Luke questioned._

 _"No one really knows what their backstory is but aside from her squadron, Antilles is the only one she tolerates. Don't comment about her in front of him though. He's got a protective streak."_

* * *

 _Hours later, Thea was still smarting from Rieekan's new pronouncement. She thought back to when she entered the office, knowing something was wrong._

 _"Thea, have a seat," Rieekan said, a strained smile on his face._

 _"What's going on, General," she questioned, waiting for him to speak._

 _"After Yavin, we've decided to make some organizational changes."_

 _"I knew they were coming with losing Gold Squadron and Red being down to Skywalker and Antilles," she responded. "Are you finally going to let me have Antilles for Black Squadron? I assume you're plotting to put Skywalker in command of his own squadron. Nothing less will do for the new Rebellion poster boy," she said lightly._

 _"You know me well, Thea. I guess it comes from all those years I spent scouting pilots with your father." For a moment an awkward silence settled in the room. Rieekan silently cursed himself for bringing up Thea's father. He knew from Antilles that it was still a sore subject with the girl._

 _"So, what do you need from Black Squadron? Do you need us to take up the slack while the other squadrons are reforming and you're getting Skywalker up to speed?" she questioned hopefully. She was more than ready to get back into a cockpit._

 _"Thea, I haven't made this decision lightly but I think it's in the best interest of the Alliance." Rieekan paused and Thea held her breath, dreading what he was going to say. "I've decided to disband Black Squadron."_

 _For a moment, she sat shell-shocked. She didn't think she heard him correctly. "What?" was all she could stammer._

 _"Thea, hear me out," Rieekan continued as she glared at him. "I need to form a new elite Squadron and most of my best pilots aside from Antilles and Skywalker are in Black Squadron."_

 _"So put them in Black Squadron then. Don't disband the unit I've built over the past two years," Thea practically yelled, knowing she was coming exceedingly close to insubordination. A lone mechanic walking by Rieekan's office paused when he heard the shouting, prompting Rieekan to shut his door._

 _"I need to start fresh. I intend to make Skywalker commander of the new squadron," Rieekan finished._

 _"And what are you going to do with me? Relegate me to Green Squadron? Make me a mechanic? Oh, I know what I can do, I can load transports or maybe I should be assigned to styling Princess Leia's hair," she spat sarcastically._

 _Anger flashed in Rieekan's eyes. "I give you a lot of slack, Commander Charaeysa but your outburst is downright insubordination and unbecoming of an officer of your rank. This change is necessary to further our fight against the Empire. As I know you agree, Skywalker is the best pilot any of us have ever seen. And it is vital that worlds considering supporting us see him as representative of the Alliance as a whole. For that to happen, he needs to be in a position of command."_

 _Thea squeezed her eyes shut to prevent tears of anger from rolling down her face. She took several deep breaths before speaking. "And where do I fit into this picture, General?" she asked calmly._

 _"I need you to teach him," Rieekan responded matter-of-factly._

 _Giving a defeated laugh, Thea asked, "What could I possibly teach him? You said yourself, he's the best pilot any of us have ever seen."_

 _"But he doesn't know anything about flying with a squadron or leading one. Thea, you're one of the best. That's how you climbed the ranks so quickly and why Black Squadron is what it is. You proved that you're as good a strategist as a pilot. We took heavy losses at Yavin. I lost two upper level commanders when we lost Red Squadron and Gold Squadron. I need you with me in the command center more than I need you in the air."_

 _"So I'm grounded permanently," she said defeated._

 _"For the most part, yes. The new squadron will be Rogue Squadron. Skywalker will be Rogue Leader and I expect Antilles will end up being his second. You will still maintain your rank, Thea and you can keep your call sign. There will be missions when I need you in the air, Thea, but there will also be times that I need you here."_

 _"Alright. Is that all, Sir?" she asked as she walked towards the door._

 _"Actually there is more." Thea's mind whirled considering what more there could possibly be. "I need you to get Skywalker up to speed as soon as possible. He needs training on strategy and formations from you."_


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

A/N: Thanks for the favorites and follows. I'm glad to know people are reading. Let me know what you think. Flashbacks are in italics.

Day after day passed at the Dantooine base, every one like the day before. The higher ups were in constant meetings and Poe kept his squad at the ready for whatever assignment was to come. So far, they had only been on short relatively "safe" missions to secure and police trade routes in the territory surrounding the system. As had become routine, Poe saw Rey most nights in the command center. When it came to their research on Thea Charaeysa, some meetings were more productive than others. He noticed as they talked, he started to get snippets of Rey's past. He was always more open than her, telling her stories from when he was a kid growing up on Yavin 4. He didn't mind, knowing Rey had a difficult time trusting and suspecting it stemmed from her abandonment on Jakku. She never admitted it to him, but with what little she revealed, he began to put the pieces together. More and more, Rey was on his mind. As he walked from the hangar bay, he almost didn't hear someone call his name.

"Hey, Dameron. Why don't you come and get a drink? All work and no play, makes you very dull, Commander," Jessika Pava called over her shoulder as Black Squadron made its way from the tarmac into the base.

Poe smiled and gave a wave as he and BB-8 went in the opposite direction of his squad mates. "Can't tonight, Pava. I'm on the late shift in the war room."

"Excuses, excuses. One day I'm going to find out what is so damn interesting about the late shift, Poe," Jessika said as she continued down the corridor towards the base's makeshift cantina. She watched as Poe entered the command center and then doubled back, silently creeping to peer through the door. "So that's what's keeping him on the late shift," Jessika said to herself, a smile crossing her face. She saw Rey seated at one of the monitors, her face illuminated by flashing green and red lights.

"Hey, Jess. Let's go," one of the other pilots called.

"Coming," Jessika called almost skipping down the corridor. She finally had something to tease Poe Dameron about.

Poe was surprised to find Rey already in front of a monitor when he reached the command center. He took a sweep around the room, before settling himself in the chair next to her. Rey scanned the data in front of her, chewing her lip in concentration. She had sensed Poe before he even opened the door to the room, but she found Thea Charaeysa fascinating. She finally came to a stopping point and acknowledged Poe's presence. "Anything interesting?" he asked.

"I didn't realize that the Rebellion disbanded Black Squadron. Did it come back before the formation of the Resistance?" Rey questioned.

"Black Squadron has an interesting history for another night. Where are you in your reading?" Poe asked.

"General Rieekan is forming Rogue Squadron."

* * *

 _A few days after Thea's discussion with Rieekan, Luke sat with several Alliance pilots in the mess hall of their Mon Calamari star cruiser. Everyone was abuzz with theories on where their next base would be located._

 _Wedge munched on his ration bar when Hobbie nudged him. "Uh oh, Wedge. Here comes your girlfriend. "_

 _"_ _And isn't she looking like her normal ray of sunshine," Janson quipped, the sarcasm evident in his voice. As Luke had learned in his short time in the Rebellion, Black Squadron kept to themselves and none more so than their elusive commander, Thea Charaeysa._

 _Wedge turned to see a determined Thea approaching their table. Luke raised an eyebrow at his friend, silently questioning. Wedge focused back on his dinner, grumbling, "She's not my girlfriend, Hobbie and Janson, you're just pissed she's always seen through your pitiful attempts at charm."_

 _When Thea stopped, her brown eyes focused on Luke. "Commander Skywalker." Luke almost spit out the water he had just sipped._

 _"_ _What?"_

 _"_ _Don't look so shocked. High Command will make it official tomorrow, Skywalker, but we have a lot of work to do. Rieeken wants you to rebuild Red Squadron, but while your skills are impressive, you sorely lack training in some of our most basic maneuvers. So goodbye, gentlemen. Commander Skywalker and I have work to do." Without waiting, Thea turned on her heels, heading for the exit and leaving Luke to scramble behind her._

 _Luke struggled to keep up as she weaved her way through the Starcrusier to the pilots' lounge. She turned to face him, eyes flashing. "Listen, Skywalker."_

 _He interrupted her with a slight smile, "Luke."_

 _"_ _What?" she asked in frustration._

 _"_ _Call me Luke," he said with a full smirk that would have made Han Solo proud._

 _"_ _Alright, Luke. Let's get one thing straight. I'm not happy about this. Rieekan has grounded me which makes me not the most pleasant person to be around."_

* * *

 _Wedge reached out an arm blocking Thea's entrance to the pilots' lounge, a month after High Command officially formed Rogue Squadron. Thea arched her eyebrow. "What's wrong with you, Wedge? I need to go over the post-engagement debrief with Skywalker."_

 _"_ _We lost a pilot, Thea," Wedge responded grimly, not budging from his spot in front of the entryway._

 _"_ _I know. That's why the debrief is important to determine whether it was pilot error or something we could have prevented," she said nonplussed, as she reached for the door._

 _"_ _Thea. Just stop. You are probably the last person he wants to see right now. You've been a complete bitch since you were given this assignment and now he's lost his first pilot under his command. Have a little compassion." Thea recoiled from the door as if she had been burned._

 _"_ _You're not holding back today, are you Antilles?" Thea responded, trying not to show the hurt on her face. She realized Wedge was right. She had been a horror to Luke ever since Rieekan had disbanded Black Squadron. She knew it wasn't Luke's fault but he was the physical representation of the loss of her squadron. His personality and likeability made him an easy target. It also didn't help that they spent almost all of his non-flight time together._

 _Reaching for the door again, Wedge placed a hand gently on top of hers. "Thea, please."_

 _"_ _I'm the person he needs to see right now, Wedge. If I have to order you to step aside, I will." Wedge threw his arms up in exasperation and stepped away from the door. He watched her slip inside and stood outside in anticipation of the explosion that he knew was coming._

 _Pausing just inside the door, Thea shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Seated on the couch, Luke Skywalker sat with his head in his hands. Slowly, he raised his head and she could see the weariness in his eyes as he pushed his tousled blond hair out of his face. She noticed a holovid was paused in front of him._

 _"_ _I'm ready to debrief, Commander," he said and Thea could hear the defeat in his voice. He began to stand, when she lifted a hand, gesturing for him to stay seated._

 _"_ _I think we can dispose of the formalities, Luke," she said softly. Surprise crossed his face and he watched as she seated herself next to him, her hand lightly resting on his back. "What was her name?"_

 _For a long moment, Luke remained silently staring at the paused holovid in front of him. Absent-mindedly, Thea began rubbing slow circles on his back. She reached out and closed the holopad in front of them._

 _Barely above a whisper, she heard him say, "Rakila Nerema."_

 _"_ _She was from Chandrila?" she asked, knowing the answer. Thea had extensive files on all of Rogue Squadron and could recite their bios with ease. Luke shook his head. "I wish I could tell you it gets easier, but it doesn't." Luke looked up meeting her gaze and saw the depth of concern in her brown eyes. "Rogan Alitaq was the first I lost. He was from Lothal. I even recruited him to join the Rebellion from the Imperial Academy. I sometimes still wonder if he'd be alive if I made different choices" she said wistfully. "Go get some sleep. This can wait," she said gesturing to the holopad._

 _Luke shook his head. "You're right. We need to do it now while it's still fresh," he said leaning to open the holopad. She remained silent as she hit play. As the two reviewed the footage from every angle, Thea grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers._

 _After a couple of hours, Thea realized Luke had grown silent. She turned to face him and saw him fast asleep. She knew she should wake him but he appeared to be in a peaceful slumber. She started to pull her hand away when his grip tightened. Exhausted herself, she leaned back and continued to review footage until her own eyes grew heavy._

 _The next morning, Wedge walked past the pilots' lounge, noticing the door was still closed. Cautiously, he peeked into the room, not expecting to see the sight before him. He was shocked to see Luke sprawled on the couch with Thea on top of him, both fast asleep. Wedge had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. Part of him wanted to wake them and see their reactions, but he decided against it, closing the door and heading to breakfast instead. He could tease them later._


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone reading, reviewing, favoriting and following. Special thanks to Charmfeather for the review. It means the world that you took the time. Hope you all enjoy the next chapter.

Rey knew Poe would be late. Black Squadron had just returned from a short mission and she saw them walking towards their quarters. She could see her friend's curly head from a distance and immediately recognized his laugh as he responded to something Snap Wexley said. Regardless, Rey went to the war room, as was their habit, knowing he would be there soon. She didn't bother opening any of their data on Thea, lost in her own thoughts instead. As their research on the pilot continued, the dreams started. Mostly they were mixed images that she couldn't decipher and oftentimes didn't remember the next morning. Somehow, however, two people always featured prominently: Thea Charaeysa and Poe Dameron. Rey pushed Thea from her thoughts, knowing that was a puzzle she couldn't solve at the moment, but Poe was another story.

Rey never recalled the content of the dreams in detail but she remembered the feelings. Sometimes they were happy and sometimes terror struck, but Poe Dameron seemed to be a constant. If she were honest, she was uneasy. Before Finn had burst into her life, Rey had gotten used to being on her own; she didn't need anyone which meant she didn't have to trust anyone either. While she was grateful for her new friends, she couldn't help but wonder if she would have been better off never leaving Jakku. At least that would have prevented the heartache that came with caring. And she was no stranger to heartache. When it came to the family that remained a shadow in her mind, she had come to terms with that years ago. The idea that they would come back was merely a coping mechanism to get through the day, but Finn and now Poe were real. They were people that had somehow pierced the defenses she had so expertly constructed. They had done the unforgivable. They had made her care. With Finn in his current state, Poe Dameron was now the poster boy for her confusion. While she felt a sense of camaraderie with Finn because they each had no family, no friends, Poe was different. They were different.

Poe was all cheerfulness and ease. He let people in and gave with his entire heart. Unlike Rey who had to close off her emotions to survive, Poe used his to fuel the passion he had for the Resistance, doing what was right and most importantly for those he cared about. As the weeks passed, Rey began to realize that he counted her among those people and she wasn't sure how to feel about it.

When Rey heard footsteps, she expected to see Poe taking his usual seat. She was stunned to see an older man in a civilian flight suit with graying hair. With a warm smile, he stood in front of her and cleared his throat. "I was wondering if you could help me find General Organa's office. I seem to be a little turned around." Rey stared at the man, a spark of recognition just below the surface of her mind. His face flashed into her memory but it was a face of a much younger man, no gray in his hair but the same warm eyes without the wrinkles.

Before Rey could answer she heard Poe call out, "Sorry, I'm late Rey. We just got back about an hour ago." Poe stopped in his tracks as he saw the man. "General Antilles?" he said with disbelief. Rey watched the two men intently.

"Poe Dameron. It has been a long time," Wedge said, clapping the young man on the shoulder. "Leia said you had joined the Resistance. I hear you're quite the hotshot pilot these days. Probably would have been a Rogue back in the Rebellion," Wedge smiled.

"What brings you here, Sir?" Poe asked.

"You can quit with the Sir and General stuff, Poe. I haven't been a general in years. I'm here to see Leia. I know information has been sporadic. I've brought her the full report of the aftermath of Starkiller Base," Wedge said grimly.

"That bad?" Poe questioned.

"I'm afraid so," Wedge said. Poe turned as if just remembering Rey.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I'm incredibly rude. This is Rey. Rey, this is General . . .sorry. . .Wedge Antilles." Wedge reached out a hand, shaking Rey's.

"It's nice to meet you Rey. Are you a tactician or a pilot?" he asked as he gestured to the workstation where she had been seated.

"Neither," Poe interrupted. "She's training to be a Jedi with Luke Skywalker."

Wedge's jaw dropped. "So the rumors are true. Luke's back? Where is he?"

Another voice interrupted the trio. "He's here, Wedge. It looks like the old gang is back together," Leia said as she approached.

Wedge enveloped her in a warm hug saying quietly, "I'm so sorry about Han."

Pulling away, Leia gave her old friend a look of resolve. "I'm afraid there will be a time for mourning but now is not it. Come and tell me how bad it is, Wedge." Without another word to the two young people, the former general and the current one exited the room, heading for Leia's office.

* * *

 _"Luke, have you heard a thing I said?" Wedge questioned as he waved his hand in front of Luke's face. Slowly, Luke turned his focus back to Wedge._

 _"What?" he responded._

 _"You are hopeless. You know the new mechanic the entire squad has been trying to sweet talk has been staring at you for the last half an hour and you are completely oblivious." Wedge titled his head in the direction of the young brunette sitting at the bar with some of the other Alliance mechanics, her exotic violet gaze never leaving Luke Skywalker._

 _Wedge took a slow sip of his Coreillian brandy and noticed that Luke's ale remained untouched. Finally Luke spoke, his attention still on a woman and man sitting three tables away. The two had their heads leaned together and seemed to be talking intently. "Who is that guy?" Luke questioned._

 _"Who? Bridger? He's Alliance intelligence. Usually shows up every few months and then he's gone again," Wedge said his annoyance rising. "Better straighten up, she's coming over." Wedge elbowed Luke and plastered a smile on his face. "Tilinia, what can we do for you?"_

 _Her raspy voice was as compelling as her unique eye color. "I was hoping Commander Skywalker might like to buy me a drink."_

 _Before Luke could speak, Thea and Bridger stood from their table. Bridger quickly slipped from the smoky cantina as Thea made her way to Wedge, Luke and Tilinia. Luke's attention never wavered as she approached and he barely heard Wedge mumble, "He's hopeless." Tilinia crinkled her brow, a pout evident on her lips as she seated herself between Luke and Wedge._

 _Thea placed a friendly hand on Wedge's shoulder, "Hey guys. Tilinia. Looks like everyone is out tonight."_

 _"Yup," Wedge responded trying to keep from snickering at the strange dynamic at his table. He had never said a word about the position he had found the two commanders in some weeks prior._

 _Silence stretched for a moment. Before Tilinia could gain Luke's attention, he turned his body towards Thea, acting as if no one else was there. "Hey, Thea. Do you have a few minutes? I was reviewing that footage from last week and have an idea on how to deal with our maneuverability issue."_

 _Thea seemed a little startled at the change in subject. "Of course. We can meet in the morning. No reason to cut your night off short," she said quirking an eyebrow and gesturing slightly in Tilinia's direction._

 _"That sounds like an excellent idea," Tillinia added. "You know, Luke, you do need to have some fun."_

 _Luke stood abruptly as Tillinia placed a hand on his leg. "I'd really like to talk about it now, Thea, if you have the time." A puzzled expression crossed her face at his insistence, but she silently nodded. "After you, Commander," Luke said, gesturing for Thea to precede him out of the cantina. Before Wedge could speak, Tilinia was back at the bar where other pilots were more than eager to buy her drinks. Wedge downed the rest of his brandy and sighed as he leaned back in his chair, considering this new turn of events._


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

 _"_ _Luke, are you coming for a drink?" Hobbie called as Rogue Squadron left the docking bay. Luke ran a hand through his hair, wiping the sweat from his brow as he listened to the boots of his comrades echo down the corridor._

 _"_ _I can't, Hobbie. I have a debrief," Luke responded, not slowing his pace._

 _Hobbie scoffed, retorting, "Which is Skywalker code for 'I want to go see my girlfriend.'" He then continued in the opposite direction with the other pilots._

 _"_ _Not my girlfriend," Luke called over his shoulder. As he continued down the hallway, Luke realized that his debriefs with Thea had become his favorite part of a mission. After their talk and the awkwardness that ensued the next morning, something changed between the two. Luke was amazed that Thea began to open up about herself. He was surprised to learn that they had a lot in common._

 _Like Luke, Thea had grown up on a desert planet. Although Jakku was in the Western Reaches and Tatooine in the Outer Rim, the two planets were strikingly similar. Through their talks, Luke also discovered that Thea's mother died when she was thirteen, leading to her move to Coruscant with her father which explained an Inner Rim, Imperial accent. He was still, however, curious as to how she ended up with the Rebellion. He suspected it had something to do with her father, but he quickly determined that subject was off limits._

 _Even as he tried to define it, Luke couldn't understand the connection he felt to Thea. He had had crushes before and girls that were friends, but there was something different about this. He found himself seeking her out and wanting her approval. He felt this unexplainable desire to spend more time with her and know as much as he could about her. The more he saw her, the more his trust in her grew. Aside from Han and Leia, Thea had become a rock for him as he navigated his new life in the Rebellion._

 _Swinging the door to the lounge open, Luke's greeting died on his lips when he saw not Thea, but General Rieekan. The older man gestured for Luke to take a seat. He noticed the datapad was keyed to the statistics from Rogue Squadron's last three missions. "Commander, have a seat and let's get this debrief underway."_

 _"_ _Sir, is everything ok? I was expecting Commander Charaeysa," Luke asked, concern etched on his face."_

 _"_ _It's fine, Luke. Thea has served her purpose with Rogue Squadron and is being reassigned."_

 _"_ _Reassigned, Sir. Is she getting a new squadron?" Luke asked trying to mask his disappointment. He knew Thea wanted to get back to flying so he was happy for her. He only hoped that this change wouldn't alter their newfound friendship._

 _"_ _No. She's being sent on a mission with Alliance Intelligence." After Rieekan's pronouncement, Luke didn't hear another word throughout the meeting. He needed to see Thea before she left. As soon as Rieekan dismissed him, Luke tore down the corridor, hoping she wasn't gone. He knocked insistently on her door and felt like a fool when she opened it, gaping at him._

 _"_ _Luke, is everything ok? How did the mission go?"_

 _"_ _It went fine. I wanted to make sure I saw you before you left. I just heard."_

 _"_ _Oh yeah," she said sullenly. "Just packing." Thea threw one last tunic into her bag and zipped it closed. Before Luke could say anything else, both turned when they heard a knock at the door. "It's open," Thea called._

 _Ezra Bridger peeked his head in, his shaggy dark hair in his eyes. "You ready?" he questioned, not acknowledging Luke._

 _"_ _I'll be right there," Thea responded, picking up her bag. Ezra reached out a hand, taking the bag from her shoulder._

 _"_ _I'll take this to the ship. See you on board." Without another word, Bridger disappeared down the corridor._

 _"_ _So you and Bridger?" Luke said nodding towards the closed door, a tinge of jealousy coming to the surface._

 _"_ _Yeah, seems so. He's an interesting character. Isn't one to over share," she said with a slight laugh._

 _"_ _That sounds familiar," Luke said teasingly. "So what's the mission?"_

 _Flashing him a smile, Thea responded, "I'm afraid that's classified Skywalker. I better get going." Thea walked towards the door when Luke grabbed her hand, squeezing it in his._

 _"_ _Thea, may the Force be with you. I'll see you soon."_

 _Thea leaned up and lightly kissed him on the cheek. "Of course you will. You're not getting rid of me that easily." She slipped through the door before Luke could see the blush on her cheeks._

* * *

 _"_ _Hey kid. It's good to see ya," Han said clapping Luke on the shoulder as he entered the bunk Luke shared with Wedge. Luke continued to focus on the holovid in front of him. Before she left, Thea had him studying the Battle of Yavin and comparing it to some of their most recent drills. Luke paused the images and faced Han. "So I see it's true," Han continued._

 _Luke looked at him puzzled. "What's true?" he questioned as he added a note to his datapad before turning his attention back to his friend._

 _"_ _The Ice Queen is putting you through the paces. No one sees you outside of drills these days from what I hear." When Luke got up from his seat, he nudged Han out of his way and gathered his things. Han placed his hand on Luke's shoulder. "What the hell was that for?"_

 _"_ _Watch your mouth," Luke spat back as he made his way for the door._

 _"_ _Whoa, wait a minute, Junior. You like her." Luke whirled to face Han._

 _"_ _I'll tell you what I don't like, is everyone giving her hell just because she takes what she does seriously."_

 _"_ _Kid, I was just joking. I hardly know the girl but if she's your friend, she's ok in my book." Luke ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath._

 _"_ _Sorry, Han. Some of the Rogues have been insufferable lately with the ribbing. And now she's off on some secret mission and who knows if she'll ever be back"_

 _"_ _I got it. What do you say we go get a drink and change the subject," Han suggested in a conciliatory manner._

 _"_ _Sounds good," Luke said with a smile._

* * *

After meeting Wedge Antilles, Rey couldn't shake the feeling that she had met him before. Even though it felt impossible, he seemed so familiar. She couldn't wait to talk to Poe about it. She knew she could count on him to hear her out and help her work through the turmoil that their little project was causing. Sometimes Rey questioned this entire quest for knowledge. As time passed, she felt that instead of an escape, there was something deeply personal about her study of Thea Charaeysa. Her stomach fluttered as she reached for the door and prepared herself to tell Poe about her suspicions.

"Hey, Poe. I think Wedge Antilles might be the key to more information on . . ." Rey stopped midsentence when she saw the petite dark-haired figure of Jessika Pava. Rey's eyes darted around the room, looking for Poe's familiar brown gaze.

Jess spun in her chair to face the young woman from Jakku. "Hi, Rey. I'm on the late shift tonight. Did you not hear?" she asked quirking her eyebrow.

"Hear?" Rey repeated confused.

"Poe was sent on a mission for General Organa. He left two hours ago" Jess responded. Rey didn't know why she was shocked but, she felt as though her world had been upended. Until that moment, she hadn't realized that Poe Dameron had become a constant in her life, a rock, someone she could depend on in a very uncertain time.

Quietly Rey responded, "No, I hadn't heard." Thoughts whirled through her head. What kind of mission was he on? She didn't even get to say goodbye. What if he didn't come back?

Jessika prattled on, not seeing the distress that flitted across Rey's face. "Yeah, it was all cloak and dagger. You know, he's the General's golden boy. She sends him on the most dangerous missions."

Without a word, Rey ran from the war room, her heart pounding in her chest. She turned down a quiet corridor and slumped against the wall, sliding to the floor in a heap. She leaned her head against the cool metal surface. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself, still not understanding her reaction. Rey's stomach churned. She couldn't lose anyone else. She was exhausted both physically and emotionally. She was so tired of loss. First her family, then Han and Finn. Now Poe. Was this her destiny? To always end up alone?

* * *

Four days later, Poe wearily walked the halls of the Resistance Base. He rubbed his eyes and let out a sigh as he approached the door to his quarters. After losing three pilots on his latest mission, he knew sleep would not come easily. He suspected he would seek out Rey, who had been on his mind a great deal lately.

Poe Dameron had always made friends easily. He was the kind of guy that never met a stranger and from the time he left the sanctuary of Yavin 4, he surrounded himself with people. On the surface, it appeared he was open with everyone he met, but that was a façade. While he did wear his heart on his sleeve, as the saying went, very few people saw Poe's deeper side. He lost his mother at a young age—his best friend. Shara Bey was the person he always depended on to be there. When she died, he somehow became that person for everyone else. Poe became Mr. Dependable. While he was always willing to lend an ear, he never confided in those around him. Everything changed, however, when he met a certain scavenger from Jakku.

Rey was an enigma to Poe. He knew little about her past, and yet she exuded such hope whenever he was near her. As they grew closer, he discovered that talking with her wasn't idle chatter. He revealed to her parts of himself that he kept hidden—that didn't conform with his happy go lucky demeanor.

Lost in thought, Poe entered the code to his quarters and froze when he realized he wasn't alone. The subject of his thoughts stood just inside the door. Rey's hair was wild and her eyes rimmed with dark circles. Before he could speak, she gave him a hard shove. Raising his hand to his now bruised shoulder, he cried out "Hey, what was that for?"

"That's for not telling me you were leaving."

"Rey, I'm sorry. I didn't know you cared," Poe said a light chuckle dying on his lips as he saw the seriousness on her face. His sense of delight at seeing her quickly dissipated when he stopped to acknowledge the true distress on her face. He reached out a hand to touch her shoulder, but she shrunk away.

She nudged him as she made her way to the door. In a quiet voice, he heard her say "Just don't disappear on me." Without another word, she was gone, leaving Poe to consider what just happened. Knowing that he had caused her pain, felt like a punch to his gut. He knew he never wanted to see hurt in her eyes and even more, he never wanted to be the cause. Now he had to figure out how to make it right.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who is reading and again to Charmfeather for reviewing. And a thanks to for being my first reviewer. Let me know what you think. I haven't made a decision as to where Rey and Poe's relationship is heading so if you have a preference, let me know.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

A/N: Thanks again to Charmfeather, and also to my new reviewers SwordMaster2 and my guest reviewer. It means a lot when you take the time to review. Also thanks to anyone who has favorited or followed. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Newer chapters may not be posted as frequently going forward.

 _Luke leaned back and rubbed his eyes. Quietly he laughed to himself, watching Han stalk after an infuriated Leia as she left the medbay on Hoth. Two-Onebee still had not cleared him to leave and he knew that Leia and High Command had restricted his visitors. He was going crazy doing nothing. His mind tended to wander to the vision of Obi-Wan. What did it all mean? His thoughts were interrupted when the door to his room slid open._

 _"_ _I heard you've had quite the time on Hoth, Skywalker." Luke smirked when Thea Charaeysa entered the room, plopping herself on his cot to face him. He hadn't seen her in months. He noticed she looked thinner and she had dyed her hair brown, with blond streaks. Before coming to Hoth, High Command had sent her on a mission with one of the former Ghost crewmembers. No one had any idea where she was or when she'd be back._

 _"_ _I wasn't expecting to see you on this ice rock," Luke said as he rocked back in his chair, putting his hands behind his head._

 _Thea laughed and gave him a genuine smile. "You just never know where I'll show up."_

 _"_ _It's good to have you back, Thea. When did you get here?"_

 _"_ _Thankfully, after Solo had saved your skin." Thea stood from the cot and knelt in front of Luke's chair, gingerly moving a lock of his hair and brushing her fingers across the scar on his face. "Really, Luke. What were you thinking? Going to look at a meteor? What am I going to do with you?"_

 _Luke grabbed her hand, holding it in his own. Leaning forward, they were almost nose-to-nose. "What do you want to do with me?"_

 _Thea fell back on to the floor laughing. "You have been hanging around Solo much too much. Did he give you that terrible line?"_

 _Luke feigned hurt. "It worked well enough in a cantina on Ord Mantell." Luke noticed she paused, averting her eyes. Thea cleared her throat, and stood up, dusting off her flight suit. A look crossed her face that Luke couldn't quite identify. Was the unflappable Thea Charaeysa upset?_

 _"_ _I really should get going. All joking aside, it's good to see you're in one piece, Luke. Get some rest." Luke stood, grabbing her arm before she reached the door._

 _"_ _Come on Charaeysa. Stay for a while. I'm trapped in here. I've hardly had any visitors and I'm going crazy."_

 _"_ _I can't, Luke. I have to go." Luke walked past her and stood between her and the door._

 _"_ _Thea, if it's something I said, I'm sorry. I know our joking sometimes gets out of hand." Thea placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a light squeeze._

 _"_ _We're fine, Luke. I really do have to go. They are still having some issues with the speeders and the cold. The mechanics think they've finally worked out the kinks but Rieekan wants me to take one for a test flight and make sure. I should have been there fifteen minutes ago."_

 _Thea looked into Luke's blue eyes and knew he was plotting. "You know, Thea. Those speeders are two person speeders," he said with a smile._

 _"_ _Oh no. I am not incurring the wrath of Princess Leia and High Command. I had to sneak in here because they've restricted your visitors. There's no way I'm breaking you out of the med bay and taking you from the base. Besides, I've already asked your cute new recruit to sit in the gunner's seat. He's waiting now," she said with a wink as she reached for the door._

 _Luke didn't budge. "Cuter than me?" he said smirking. She would never admit that he made her heart beat a little faster._

 _"_ _Maybe and maybe not but I bet Dak listens when I give him an order."_

 _"_ _So what if I just follow you and order Dak not to go?"_

 _"_ _You forget that we may be the same rank, but I'm still the senior officer, Skywalker." Luke continued to give her a pouting expression. Exasperated, Thea sighed. "Fine, you are in the gunner's seat. I will be flying. You are only along for the ride and you will keep your helmet on from the time we hit the hangar bay until I bring you back here. And once I do, you will follow every order Two-Onebee gives you without complaint. Understood."_

 _Luke smiled and saluted. "Yes Ma'am. After you," he responded as he gestured for Thea to precede him through the door._

* * *

 _Less than twenty-four hours later, the entire base was abuzz with the impending Imperial attack. As Luke strode through the base, heading for his speeder, he saw Thea in full flight suit, her helmet tucked under her arm. They stopped in front of Thea's X-wing, facing each other. "I thought you'd be in the command center," Luke said as he gestured in the direction from which Thea had come._

 _"_ _Change of plans. I'll be protecting the transports along with our newbies. Rieekan needs someone that can keep them calm until the transports can jump to the rendezvous point."_

 _"_ _You'll be a sitting target out there," Luke said concern etching his face._

 _"_ _No more so than you and the Rogues planet side. Watch you back, Skywalker and keep your gunner calm. You know how antsy new recruits can be when all hell is about to break loose." Thea reached up and gently touched his cheek. "Be careful. I'll see you at the rendezvous." Thea turned to climb the ladder on her X-wing when she hesitated. Suddenly she realized that Luke hadn't answered her. She had a sinking feeling that something was off. She placed her helmet down and jogged in Luke's direction, calling out. "Hey, Luke. Wait up."_

 _Luke paused as Thea approached. He met her gaze, her eyes searching. "Is everything ok?" she questioned, seeking any clue as to what was bothering him._

 _"_ _It's fine Thea. Stay focused on staying alive up there and just know that no matter what happens, I'll never abandon the Rebellion." Thea frowned and watched as he continued his journey to his speeder, but she couldn't leave things like this._

 _Luke slowed his gait as he heard her footsteps continue to follow him. She grabbed his arm, stopping his progress. When Luke turned around, Thea grasped his flight suit and pulled him to her, crashing her lips against his. As quickly as it began, the kiss ended. Softly she whispered, "Take care of yourself, Luke." Before he could speak, she was gone, scrambling into the cockpit of her X-wing._

* * *

"How are you?" Poe questioned Rey as she exited Finn's room in the medical ward. That seemed to be the first question that came to mind whenever Poe saw the young woman these days. After Rey's outburst in his quarters, he noticed that she was avoiding him. There hadn't been any late night research sessions. He suspected she continued combing through the files because on several occasions, he found that his datapads had been moved.

Rey shrugged her shoulders at Poe's question, a troubled expression on her face. "I thought I'd at least get a smile. From what I hear, Finn has made some improvements. The med staff even thinks he might regain consciousness as early as this week," Poe stated, trying again to reach his friend.

Rey gave a reserved smile. "Yeah," she said softly. "Of course that's good news."

"So what's troubling you?" Poe prodded her as they walked side by side down the corridor towards the tarmac.

"You're going to think I'm crazy," she said as she stopped to face him.

"I already think you're crazy," he laughed light heartedly and playfully nudged her. He desperately tried to lighten the mood and overcome whatever barrier was now between them. Poe froze when he saw the pain in her eyes just before she averted her gaze. He could have punched himself for trying to joke with her when this was the first time she'd talked to him since that night. When it came to Rey, Poe wondered if he would ever get it right. "Hey, sorry. You're serious?" he questioned as he gently lifted her chin so that her eyes met his.

Rey wrenched her face from his grasp, turning her back and furiously wiping at her eyes. Poe walked around and placed his hands on her forearms, anchoring her in place. "Rey, what is going on?"

"I-" she said her voice breaking. Shakily she took a deep breath. "Poe, I think Thea Charaeysa was my mother." Poe released her and raked his hand through his dark curls. Rey had recognized quite some time ago that this was a nervous habit of her friend. Even knowing that small detail about Poe unnerved her. It was yet another indicator of how close she had let him get to her.

"Rey, you know that's impossible. You've been through a lot and sometimes our memories can play tricks on us. Commander Charaeysa was a heroic figure and she was from Jakku. I know how much you want to know about your family. It's not unheard of for you to transpose Commander Charaeysa into the role. And it doesn't make you crazy."

"Poe, you're not listening. I know things about her. Things I couldn't possibly know. I have memories of her face, her voice. She's the one who left me on Jakku. It makes sense, Poe. It was her home planet."

"Ok, ok. How about I ask General Organa what she knows about her? Maybe she can shed some light," Poe asked hopefully in an attempt to calm Rey.

"Don't patronize me, Poe. I know you don't believe me," she said as she turned to stalk away, leaving Poe with concern evident on his face.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, new followers and favorites. As always, I greatly appreciate your feedback. This chapter is short but necessary and don't worry, we will eventually get back to Poe and Rey.

Luke Skywalker slipped silently from the confines of the old rebel base that was now the home of the Resistance. So many years ago, after their great victory against the Empire, he never believed he would be back with a ragtag group of resistance fighters running from a tyrannical regime. Luke could feel Leia as she watched him until he was out of sight of the base. He knew she wanted to follow but made the decision to leave him to his solitude.

Leia had become a problem. Now that Wedge Antilles was on base, he knew she was suspicious and it was not the time to have that talk. With the status of the galaxy, Luke never wanted to reveal the secret that remained hidden. It was his decision no matter what Leia believed and it was for the best. Even though he himself had questioned Obi Wan's secret keeping many years ago, he now understood its necessity. Sometimes he wondered if he had never known the truth, would they be where they were today? So many friends dead and on the brink of another galactic war. He was tired.

As Luke retreated farther from the safety of the base, into the night, a light rain began to fall. Raindrops rolled down his face, mixing with a silent tear that escaped his eye. He wasn't sure whether he was trying to escape the turmoil he could feel rolling off of Rey and Leia or his own haunted memories.

Rey. She was the one thing he could not let himself think about. He was trying to instruct her as best he could, so that she might have a chance when the inevitable happened. If the galaxy had taught him anything, her time would come. He knew no matter how much he wanted to spare her, protect her, she would face Kylo Ren, and if Luke Skywalker did nothing else, he would ensure she survived. For Rey to prevail, however, she had to rid herself of the distractions that Luke sensed constantly warring within her.

Rey wanted the truth but Luke was uncertain if it was a truth that Rey was ready to hear. He wasn't sure if he was ready discover the entire story. He had pieced together most of what happened but he didn't know the specifics. Without a doubt, those details, if ever they came to the surface, would be excruciatingly painful for them both.

Ultimately, Luke was at a loss of what to do about Rey. He couldn't confide in anyone, not even Leia, but he realized that Rey was determined not to let go of investigating her past. A few weeks ago, Luke passed the briefing room and noticed Rey and Poe Dameron scrolling through data. He watched the two for a few moments, seeing the ease of their interactions. They clearly were fast friends and for a second he was transported back to the beginning of his friendship with Han and Leia. As he was about to return to his quarters, a holo popped into view. It was an image of Thea Charaeysa and Wedge Antilles. Luke estimated that the picture must have been some time between Hoth and Endor because of Thea's hair color. She had been on several undercover missions in that time period. It didn't take long for Luke to figure out Poe and Rey's side project. Ever since that night, that particular image preoccupied him. She looked so hopeful, having no idea what was ahead. While she was never far from his thoughts, he managed. Recently, however, he could hardly focus because he was lost in the past.

* * *

 _Thea was distracted and she knew she couldn't afford to be. The Rebels were preparing for what could be their final stand at Endor but all she could think about was Luke Skywalker. To say she was unnerved when he didn't return from Tatooine with Han Solo and Princess Leia would be putting it mildly. But then without warning, he called out in the briefing room, joining Solo's strike team on the Endor moon. Relief in seeing him alive quickly turned to anger. She couldn't understand what he was thinking joining the shield team. He was a pilot. Furthermore, he had managed to avoid her since arriving on Home One. Anger shielded her from feeling hurt. Shaking her head, she tried to dispel the thoughts of Luke and refocus on the mission. As she approached her X-wing, she noticed it was partially draped in a tarp, indicating the mechanics had not completed repairs._

 _Angrily she stopped one of the mechanics scrambling by, "Ensign, why has my ship not been repaired? I'm part of the team flying with General Calrissian." Thea stared at the young man, hands on hips, exasperation evident on her face._

 _"_ _Commander, Ma'am, your fuel line is compromised. With the time and resources we have, we could only do a temporary patch which would be very unstable in combat," the man responded._

 _"_ _In case you haven't noticed, Ensign, we're in a war and don't have ships to spare. I'll have to make do. I need you to get her air worthy."_

 _"_ _Ma'am, I'm sorry. I can't do that," the Ensign said glancing down._

 _"_ _Are you defying a direct order?" Thea pushed, her voice rising._

 _"_ _No, Commander. I was ordered not to fix your ship."_

 _"_ _What!" Thea exclaimed. "Who would have given you that order?"_

 _The ensign's mouth opened but before he could answer, Thea heard a familiar voice. "I did," Luke Skywalker called as he made his way to Thea. The ensign took the opportunity to disappear into the crowd of pilots._

 _Thea stood gaping, her eyes flashing. Luke pressed a gentle finger to her lips, silencing her protests. "Thea, I wasn't about to let you go into this with a shoddy fuel line."_

 _Thea stepped back, distancing herself from him. "_ _In case you haven't noticed, Commander Skywalker, we are in a war. Sometimes our flying conditions are not ideal," she said, turning to pull the drape from her X-wing._

 _"_ _Thea, you know as well as I do that going into combat with a compromised fuel line is suicide."_

 _"_ _I don't see it as much different than joining Solo's strike team," she spat. Tenderly, he placed his hands on shoulders, slowly turning her to face him. Gently he touched her cheek. Her eyes softened and glistened. "Why do I get the feeling you don't plan on coming back?" she asked in barely a whisper._

 _"_ _I need you to keep your head in the game. I need to know that I did everything I could to keep you safe up there." Puzzled, she waited for him to continue. "I had your R2 unit sent over to my X-wing. I checked it out last night. It's in optimum condition. With everything going on, Thea, honestly, I need one less thing to worry about and making sure you have a safe ship is the one thing I can control." Without a word, she pulled him close. Thea had so many questions she wanted to ask, knowing that he was keeping things from her, but she remained silent. She understood that now wasn't the time._

 _Pressing her cheek to his, they stood there for what seemed like a second and an eternity all at once. They were soldiers and they knew that the other would do what had to be done. There were no promises of returning, just a quiet understanding of the deep and yet undefined feelings between them._


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

"Hey, Buddy," Poe said as he took a seat beside a still comatose Finn. The stark lighting of the medbay left Finn's usually vibrant face in a deathly pallor. "You know you can wake up any time." Poe sighed, running his hand through his curly locks and rubbing his tired eyes. "I really wish you'd wake up Finn. I could really use someone to talk to."

Poe paused, momentarily turning away from his unmoving friend. "You see, it's about Rey." Poe envied Finn and Rey's relationship. They seemed to have an automatic connection and he knew that Rey trusted Finn completely. He suspected it had a lot to do with their backgrounds. They were thrown together when neither one had anyone else in the world. As Poe continued to stare at the silent, sleeping Finn, he didn't notice that Rey stood in the corridor listening intently. "Finn, I want to help her so badly but I don't know how. She's been hurt so much and I know she's strong. She's one of the strongest people I know. Is it wrong that I want to protect her anyways? It's probably not my place. I don't even know how she feels about me. I hope she at least considers me a friend, but she is so hard to read."

Standing, Poe paced in front of Finn's bed and Rey shrunk deeper into the shadows. Poe placed his hand over Finn's and gave it a quick squeeze. "We miss you, Buddy. She misses you. If for no one else, you gotta wake up for her. I don't know how to get through to her, how to be there for her. It seems to come so easy to you. She needs you. She needs someone she can open up to and no matter how much I want it to be, it's not me." As Poe exited the medbay, he never noticed Rey hiding outside of the door. Slowly, she touched her face, feeling that it was wet. She didn't know the last time she shed real tears, but Poe's genuine concern for her cut her to the core.

Making sure Poe was gone, Rey approached Finn. "He's right, you know," Rey said softly as she brushed her hand over Finn's forehead. "I do need you, my friend. You've been gone for much too long. Please, Finn. Come back. We all miss you." Rey sat next to Finn's unmoving form for a long time. She considered Poe's words, knowing that she could depend on him. A feeling of guilt welled inside her as she contemplated the way she had treated him. She knew none of this was his fault. He was trying to help and be a friend. Part of the problem was she didn't know much about friendship. She had been on her own for so long and she was so caught up in the past. Even though she understood logically she needed to move on and concentrate on her future, Maz's words still echoed in her ears. "They are never coming back." No matter how may times she repeated it as a mantra, her heart wouldn't let her let it go. She had to know no matter the pain it would cause her.

* * *

 _Luke Skywalker was exhausted as he watched the jubilant rebel pilots celebrate in the Ewok village. He had already accounted for Han, Leia, Chewie, Lando and Wedge but there was one face still missing. He consoled himself that even in the chaos, he would have sensed if she had not survived. He pushed his way through the celebrators, making his way to Wedge Antilles who was regaling a pretty pilot with the story of the space battle. Luke rested a hand on Wedge's shoulder, getting his attention._

 _"_ _Luke, can you believe it? We did it," Wedge declared elatedly. "So why are you frowning?" Wedge questioned as his focus turned from the woman to his friend._

 _"_ _Wedge, where is Thea?" Luke asked, his brow furrowed in concern._

 _"_ _Luke, she's fine. She's mad as hell but she's fine. A TIE hit her starboard engine early on and she crashed landed on the moon."_

 _"_ _Is she ok? Is she hurt? Have you talked to her?" Luke peppered Wedge with questions as panic took hold._

 _"_ _Luke, relax. Do you honestly think I'd be here if she wasn't ok? I talked to her on my comlink. She got a few scrapes and bruises but she's fine. She pulled a pretty sweet maneuver to land her X-wing intact. I pinged her location and our furry friends are bringing her back to the village. They should be here soon."_

 _"_ _What direction?" Luke demanded._

 _"_ _West," Wedge responded. Without another word, Luke jogged from the village in the direction Thea should have been coming. He could still hear the strains of the Ewok festivities when he spotted her. She had wrapped her wrist in gauze and had a small cut on her forehead, but she appeared to have no serious injuries._

 _Her eyebrows raised when she saw him waiting for her. She leaned in whispering a thank you to her Ewok friends and they continued on to join the revelry in the village. Neither spoke for a few minutes until she slowly walked to Luke. Stopping just in front of him, she asked "Are you ok?"_

 _"_ _I will be," he stated simply._

 _"_ _Should we go join the party?" she asked gesturing in the direction of the Ewok village._

 _"_ _After everything that has happened, I need a little quiet to process everything." A flash of hurt crossed her eyes as she slowly nodded her head._

 _"_ _I understand. Find me later?" she asked hopeful, concern imprinted on her face._

 _Holding out his hand to her, he asked, "Come with me?" A smile lit up her face as she took his proffered hand and followed him away from the celebrations._

* * *

 _"_ _Thea, you're a mess," Thane Kyrell announced as he approached the blond commander. A few weeks prior, Thea had been temporarily assigned to Corona Squadron. A little over a year had passed since the Battle of Endor and Corona was stationed on Naboo for the foreseeable future. Thea sighed as she attempted to wipe the grease staining her hands, not realizing that she also had black smudges on her face._

 _"_ _What are you doing here, Kyrell? I thought you'd be out with the masses at one of the cantinas," she responded lightly._

 _"_ _Not my style," Thane responded as he leaned over her shoulder, trying to inspect her work. Thea's eyes traveled to the armband he still wore as a sign of Jelucani mourning. He once had described the ritual to her and she knew it was only supposed to last a year. That date had come and gone and yet Thane still mourned the death of the woman he loved. Thane followed her eyes to the piece of cloth but didn't acknowledge it._

 _Instead, he further scrutinized her ship. "You know. You might be the worst mechanic in the Rebellion," he laughed._

 _Playfully she punched his arm. "Shut up. I do the best I can."_

 _"_ _Your best is transforming a minor problem into a huge one. Maintenance crew is going to be furious with you. You are so impatient." Thea sighed plopping herself on one of the crates near her X-wing. "You have some . . . " Thane continued pointing to her face._

 _"_ _What?" Thea questioned in horror, wiping at her face._

 _Thane laughed, for the first time in a long time. He grabbed a rag and started cleaning the grease smudge from her cheek. "How about I take a look before drills in the morning and see how much destruction you caused? Hopefully I can have her back in operation before our first run."_

 _Thea threw her arms around him in a quick hug. "Thank you! You're a life saver."_

 _Thane chuckled, "I better get going. I probably should make sure Yendor and Kendy made it back instead of passing out in a corridor somewhere," Thane began walking towards the door when he stopped and yelled over his shoulder. "No touching your ship until I look at it tomorrow." Thea laughed as she watched Thane go and began picking up the tools she scattered around her ship. She was so focused on her task that she almost didn't hear the echoes of boots on the hangar floor._

 _"_ _Should I be jealous?" a voice asked. Thea whirled around to see Luke's blue gaze on her, a slight smile on his lips. She closed the gap in moments, launching herself into his arms._

 _"_ _When did you get here? Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" Before he could answer, she pressed her lips against his._

 _He took a deep breath when they broke apart. "I was hoping for a greeting like that." Thea beamed up at him as he rememorized every aspect of her beautiful face. For the past year, they had been apart more than together. In this most recent separation, they hadn't seen each other in nearly four months. Luke pulled away and walked towards her X-wing, placing a hand on the hull. "So what's wrong with your ship?"_

 _"_ _We haven't seen each other in months, and you want to talk about my ship?" Thea questioned, coming to stand in front of him, hands on hips._

 _"_ _Well, since it looks like you've been working on it, yes," he laughed, mischief in his eyes._

 _Thea swatted at him, "You . . . ." Luke grabbed her hand tugging her close. He leaned in capturing her lips in a lingering kiss._

 _When they separated, Luke walked to her toolbox, rifling through it. Thea gave him an incredulous glare. "You are not seriously about to work on my ship?"_

 _Continuing on his search for the right tool, Luke responded. "Of course I am. I can't have your new friend taking care of it," Luke said gesturing to where Thane had disappeared._

 _"_ _Kyrell? You think you need to worry about Kyrell?"_

 _Luke laughed, "Nope."_

 _"_ _Well, aren't you confident," she said smiling as she grabbed his hand, leading him from the hangar bay._

 _The next morning, Thea arrived late to drills. Thane walked up to meet her on his way to his own X-wing. "Hey, who did you have to bribe to get your X-wing fixed?"_

 _"_ _What?" Thea asked confused._

 _"_ _I got here early to see what I could do and it was in tip top shape."_

 _Thea rolled her eyes when she saw a certain blond head across the hangar bay, smirking. "Thanks, Thane. Looks like someone got to it."_

A/N: Thanks again to my two loyal reviewers and to everyone following this story. Thane Kyrell and his background are from Claudia Gray's _Lost Stars._ If you haven't read it, it is a great book. The next chapter may take me a little longer because I haven't started it. Please review—reviews are great motivators to get out the next chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

A/N: Inspiration struck so here's a bonus chapter for this weekend.

As Wedge Antilles entered the empty mess hall, he breathed a sigh of relief. So many questions plagued him since arriving on Dantooine. He had yet to see his old friend, Luke Skywalker and he knew that Luke had the answers. Purposely, Wedge waited until shift change to find a desperately needed cup of caf, knowing he could be alone. When he exited into the seating area with his steaming mug, he froze, seeing Rey seated by herself. Wedge hesitated, not sure whether he should go to the girl. She seemed lost in thought, a tray of food untouched in front of her. If she knew he was there, she was yet to acknowledge him. Wedge walked towards her, stopping at her table.

"Mind if I join you? It's Rey right?" Wedge asked in a friendly tone. Rey seemed surprised when she noticed him waiting for her response.

"Sure," she said, gesturing to the empty chair across from her. The two enjoyed a companionable silence, Wedge sipping his caf and Rey absentmindedly moving food around her tray.

"So, Reylen, you're from Jakku?" Wedge questioned the young woman.

"Yes," she responded. Rey's face didn't reveal the turmoil churning through her mind. The man in front of her hadn't noticed his slip but Rey certainly did. He had called her Reylen and coming from his lips, it sounded so familiar. It had triggered something that she couldn't quite comprehend. Hesitantly, Rey held her fork suspended in midair and eyed Wedge. "General, did you know Thea Charaeysa?"

Wedge began coughing almost spitting out his last sip of caf. When he recovered, he found a pair of familiar brown eyes focused on him. He knew there was no putting her off. He had his suspicions; he had them since meeting the girl but had hoped to talk to Luke first. "I did. She was a good friend."

Rey's heart sped up, knowing she was so close to getting all of her questions answered. She wanted to know everything about Thea and clearly, she had been right. Wedge Antilles knew her. He not only knew her. He knew her well. The true question was how well? If she was right and Thea was her mother, could she be sitting across the table from her father? If so, why did they leave her? Taking a deep breath to calm her wildly beating heart, Rey decided to start from the beginning. "How did you meet her?"

* * *

 _Wedge walked the seedy lower levels of Coruscant, an acidic stench burning his nostrils. The darkness and heat heightened the smells and unease, coursing through his body. This would be his last mission to Imperial City for the foreseeable future. High Command had received a warning from Fulcrum. Their recruitment network into the Imperial Academy might be compromised. In most circumstances, all ties would be severed immediately and the Rebellion would never look back. This operation had been one of their most successful. For the past two years, the Alliance had a direct link to recruits, mainly pilots, inside the Academy. Their contact, code name, Ray, had had incredible luck targeting specific cadets, grooming them to desert and then passing them off to Wedge and his fellow operatives to transport to various rebel bases._

 _Over the course of two years, Wedge had seen Ray as frequently as was safe. All he knew about her was that she was very young but somehow uniquely positioned to identify sympathizers with the skills the rebels so desperately needed. Surprisingly, prior to his latest departure to Coruscant, General Rieekan had called him into a meeting with Mon Mothma. There he had learned about the threat to Ray. Rieekan pulled him aside and revealed to Wedge that Ray was like a daughter to him. Years ago he had been friends with her father and ultimately recruited her mother to aid the Alliance. Her mother's allegiances had been discovered. The Empire sent its agents to Jakku, killing her mother but sparing Ray. Rieekan did not elaborate further about how Ray got to Coruscant or where her father was._

 _As Wedge waited anxiously, he thought back to the first time he met her, not too far from where he currently stood . . ._

 _Wedge Antilles adjusted his black fedora to better cover his eyes. Anxiously, he scanned the crowd, trying to guess who might be his contact. Wedge was new to the spy game. He had been an Alliance pilot for a couple of years but he quickly learned that in a ragtag group of freedom fighters, you had to multi-task. He had been dispatched to meet a contact on Coruscant who would be recruiting new individuals to join their ranks. The rebels were in desperate need of numbers._

 _A slight figure in a dark blue cloak approached his location. A hand snaked out from beneath the folds of fabric, roughly grabbing his arm and jerking him further into the shadows. "I'm . . ." Wedge began._

 _The figure held up her hand, silencing him as she pulled down her hood. Wedge stood shocked, seeing a blond girl, not more than sixteen standing in front of him. She grabbed his hand, forcing a Corellian credit into his palm. He then repeated the gesture, transferring an Alderaanian commemorative medallion into hers. Both breathed a sigh of relief, as they confirmed the identity of the other. "First time on Coruscant, Flyboy?" the young woman questioned. Wedge raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I had you pegged for a pilot from 50 yards out," she replied to the unasked question. "So I take it you understand the protocol and how to contact me?" Wedge nodded. She continued, "They haven't advised me of a code name."_

 _Appraising the girl, Wedge smiled. "I think with that hair, we'll call you Ray."_

 _Ray smiled. "Alright, Flyboy, Ray it is." As she turned to leave, she stopped and looked back. "Watch yourself and maybe leave the hat behind next time. " Wedge feigned hurt as he readjusted the hat on his head and watched her disappear into the crowd._

 _Wedge's daydream ended abruptly when he saw a familiar figure walking in his direction, hidden in her usual azure cloak. Concern flashed in her eyes when she stopped in front of him. Her voice rasped, "What's going on? This is totally against protocol and extremely dangerous. Are you ok?"_

 _"_ _Ray, we've gotten information and you're going to have to make a decision. You may be compromised so we can end our contact and you can continue about your normal life or . . . ."_

 _"_ _Or?" she asked._

 _"_ _Or you can officially join the Rebellion."_

 _"_ _When do you need to know? I had a couple of other cadets I was vetting," she questioned, her brown eyes filled with concern._

 _"_ _It's now or never, Ray." Sucking in a deep breath, Ray tried to quell her nerves._

 _Gulping, she cleared her throat. "Let's go. But before we leave, maybe I should know your real name after all of this time."_

 _Reaching out his hand Wedge replied, "Wedge Antilles."_

 _Grasping his hand and giving it a firm shake, she said, "Thea Charaeysa."_

* * *

Wedge breathed a sigh of relief as pilots poured into the mess, giving him an avenue of escape from Rey's questioning. He was fairly certain he knew who the girl was but he wanted to speak with Luke before he continued the conversation on Thea. Weaving his way through the base corridors, he found Luke's quarters. Softly he tapped on the door. "Come in, Wedge," he heard Luke call. Even after all these years, he recognized his voice and was slightly unnerved that Luke already knew it was him.

"You are a difficult man to find," Wedge said as he entered the sparse quarters. As Luke got up from his seat, Wedge stood awkwardly in the doorway. He almost felt as though the man before him was a stranger, not his friend of over thirty years.

"What can I do for you Wedge?" Luke asked calmly, no hint of anxiety marring his face.

"Well, Luke I'd like to know what the hell is going on?" Wedge demanded.

"What exactly are you talking about?" Luke asked nonplussed at his old friend's tone.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about. I've met Rey," Wedge declared.

"Yes, my new padawan," Luke responded evenly.

"So that's how we're going to play this then?" Wedge questioned exasperated. "I'm not stupid, Luke, but what I want to know is, if she's alive, does that mean . . . ."

Before Wedge could finish, Luke cut him off, a flash of anger in his eyes. "Thea is dead, Wedge. She's never coming back. Leave it alone."

Wedge's heart clenched. Even after all of this time, hearing Thea and dead in the same sentence still stung. There had been so many questions surrounding her death that closure had never come for him. Then seeing Rey, he had the smallest glimmer of hope that maybe they had all been wrong. "You can't keep this hidden, Luke. She's going to figure it out. And I for one am not going to let that girl believe her mother simply abandoned her on Jakku to fend for herself."

"This doesn't concern you, Wedge. I don't know what you think you know, but don't stir up the past. It will only cause everyone more pain," Luke warned wearily. "Leave Rey to me. She's my padawan and not your concern."

"You keep telling yourself you're doing this for her, Luke, but you and I know the truth. You're doing this for you. You're the one that doesn't want to face what all of this means. I came to you before I told her anything out of respect for you and for Thea, but I won't deny her the truth about her mother. It would be better coming from you but I'll tell her if I have to," Wedge stated angrily as he stormed from Luke's quarters.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

A/N: Sorry for the delay on the update. Work got busy and then I went out of town. This chapter is heavy with flashbacks to set up some future revelations for our present characters. Keep in mind that it appears that in the new cannon Luke was not a public figure and that he was off doing his own thing much of the time. This will attempt to follow the timeline clues from Claudia Gray's Bloodline. As always, please review and thanks to those of you who have on past chapters!

 _Thea laughed as Luke dragged her through the jungle's growth on Yavin 4. She turned her head skyward, savoring the raindrops that fell on her face. Spending her first thirteen years on Jakku, she would never tire of rain. "Luke, where are we going?" she questioned as he continued on his quest, going deeper into the lush green. A few days ago, she had been helping Rieekan with unrest on Akiva. Things had calmed and they were preparing to return to Chandrila when she received a message from Luke. He wanted her to take leave so that they could disappear for a few days. She had immediately agreed. She never took time off and Luke rarely asked. They had fallen into a routine. Both had their own responsibilities but they tried to find time to be together whenever they could._

 _Seven years had passed since Endor. It had been a trying time for Luke, Thea and the New Republic. Luke threw himself into learning as much as he could about the extinct Jedi in the hopes that one day he could resurrect the Order. Meanwhile, Thea continued on as a New Republic Commander most often traveling with General Rieekan as part of his inner circle_.

 _Suddenly, Luke stopped in front of a cave and pulled her under the overhang to protect her from the rain. Gently he touched her cheek, brushing back a strand of hair from her face. She knew that look. Something was on his mind. Slowly, she intertwined her fingers with his and silently waited for him to tell her what was wrong. For the longest time, he simply stared at her brown gaze, not wanting the moment to end. "Thea, there's something I want to talk about." Her heart sank, fearing that this was the end. She would never pretend it hadn't been difficult, never telling anyone of their connection and going months without seeing each other._

 _Reluctantly, Luke pulled his hand away from her, breaking their contact. Thea took a deep breath, expecting the worst. Quietly, Luke reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver bracelet with an intricately woven pattern. He placed the bracelet in Thea's hand as she reverently brushed the smooth metal with her fingertips. Briefly she was transported back to her childhood on Jakku and the modest home she shared with her mother. "It's beautiful," she gasped. "Where did you get it?"_

 _Luke laughed good-naturedly. "I have connections. And yes, it is authentic from Jakku."_

 _"_ _I love it," she said pausing._

 _"_ _But . . ." Luke asked, raising an eyebrow at her._

 _"_ _Luke, my mother had a circlet like this one. This is terribly sweet but this particular pattern is reserved for weddings," she said as she tried to place the bracelet back into his hand._

 _"_ _I'm well aware of what this pattern represents, Thea." She gaped at him, freezing in place as she studied the man in front of her. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Thea, I know we've made a lot of sacrifices. I asked that we keep our relationship a secret for all of these years. I was afraid that you would become a target because of me."_

 _"_ _Luke, stop," she said silencing him as she pressed her fingers to his lips. "This isn't all on you. I agreed. My position with the New Republic military often placed me on unstable worlds. With the Imperial remnants still in play, you were number one on their most wanted list and publicly being connected to you would have made me a more worthwhile target. We made these decisions together. This is not only on you."_

 _"_ _Even so . . ." he began. "I want you to know that even though we can't tell the galaxy about us, I am no less committed to you, Thea. I want you to marry me. I don't want you to ever doubt that I love you." Thea briefly pressed her lips to his, reluctantly pulling back._

 _"_ _Luke, you don't have to do this. I know you love me. I don't need a wedding to prove that," she said._

 _Luke tugged her closer to him and she could feel his breath on her face. Quietly he whispered in her ear, "Did you ever think that I'm being selfish here? I want to know that we've made this commitment."_

 _"_ _Alright," she responded breathing in deeply and savoring their closeness. "As long as you know that you don't have to prove anything to me." Luke pulled back and gently kissed her. "So how exactly is this going to work?" Grinning, Luke pulled her further into the cave. Carefully he navigated the wet stones, not releasing her hand as he led them into a cavern filled with glowing lights. Thea smiled when she recognized the man waiting for them. "Lor?" she questioned hesitantly._

 _Lor San Tekka came forward, embracing her. "It is wonderful to see you Thea," he said a smile on his face. Turning towards Luke, he clapped the young Jedi on the back. "I see the proposal went well." Luke placed his arm around Thea as they faced Lor._

 _Thea laughed as she gazed at Luke. "You were quite confident I'd say yes, weren't you?"_

 _"_ _Let's just say I was optimistic," he said as he brushed her cheek._

 _Lor cleared his throat, drawing two pairs of eyes to him. "Shall we begin?"_

* * *

Poe jogged to catch up with Rey when he spotted her exiting the base for the lush jungle beyond the tarmac. For a moment he was torn about whether he should approach her. Lately, he felt like he never did anything right when it came to Rey, however, his burning desire to reach some kind of understanding persuaded him to try. He called out, halting her progress. Cautiously he approached her, nearly losing his courage when he saw her brow furrowed as she met his gaze.

Words tumbled from Poe's mouth as he tried to breach the chasm in their friendship. "Rey, we've always been honest with each other. I may not believe it, but you do and that's enough for me. I'll do anything I can to help you get an answer about your parents." Poe held his breath, anxiously awaiting some sign that Rey was willing to let him back in.

Rey froze and the two stared at each other, unmoving. Suddenly Rey enveloped Poe in a tight hug, hiding her face in the folds of his flight suit. Poe stood still, shocked as he listened to her muffled voice.

He barely heard her whisper," Poe, I feel like I'm losing my grip on reality. I've been having these dreams. I don't know what's real any more. Every time I think I have something figured out, I'm confused" Cautiously he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly.

"We'll figure it out. I promise. I'm here for you, Rey. I'll never leave you behind." Poe stared into the jungle beyond Rey, keeping his thoughts to himself and disguising his unease from her. Ever since she confided in him about her theory concerning Thea Charaeysa, he was reminded of a memory from his childhood. Poe feared divulging his thoughts to Rey because of his almost visceral desire to protect her from pain. What if he was wrong? He didn't want to give this young woman whom he cared for deeply any false hope. And what if Thea was Rey's mother? Would that help Rey or hurt her? He remembered from some of their earliest conversations that Rey always believed her family was coming back. From all of their research, Thea Charaeysa was dead. If she was Rey's mother, she would never return to Jakku to reunite with her daughter. Wasn't some hope better than none? If Thea was not Rey's mother, then Rey still had a chance of finding her family one day. After losing his own mother, Poe would give anything to have the hope of seeing her again. If he confirmed Thea was Rey's mother, he would be the one taking the chance of a reunion away from Rey forever. He would deny her the family she so desperately longed to know. Poe remained silent, and lightly pressed his lips to Rey's forehead, bringing her further into his protective embrace.

* * *

 _Thea sprinted through the corridors of the medbay on Lothal, desperately searching for a face she recognized. When she had received Han Solo's message, she was in the Western Reaches. Even using the fastest, riskiest hyperspace route to Lothal had cost her four days of travel. She hadn't slept since she received the news._

 _Over the past year, Luke had been training his nine year-old nephew Ben Solo. His research on the Old Jedi Order had led the pair to Lothal and one of the temples, abandoned long ago. Neither had realized they were walking into an ambush by a new Sith Lord. For the past six months, rumblings of a new dark Force user had begun in certain circles. Luke primarily got what little information he had from his dear friend, Lor San Tekka. After their arrival, the mysterious Sith managed to kidnap Ben._

 _From what she learned in Han Solo's communication, Luke had tracked the Sith to the temple where they had engaged in a lightsaber battle. Luke managed to gain the upper hand and escaped with Ben. Luke, however, did not return unscathed. He was in such dire condition that Ben had been the one to get the ship in the air and to the New Republic base at Jalath._

 _Trying to slow her breathing, Thea walked to Han and Chewbacca. Han leaned toward Chewie whispering something and the Wookie placed a hand on Ben's shoulder, leading him farther down the corridor. "Han, how is he?" she asked, working to disguise the distress in her voice._

 _"_ _He's going to be ok, Thea. It was bad. He's been in bacta the last four days, but the med staff say he's strong and expect him to make a full recovery."_

 _"_ _What happened? I know there was talk of a new dark side user, but we never had proof."_

 _"_ _I don't know more than I sent you in the holo," Han responded, sitting wearily in one of the waiting room chairs._

 _"_ _Has Ben said anything?" she asked as she took the seat next to his, still taking deep breaths to slow her racing heart._

 _"_ _No. He hasn't said a thing. He's strangely quiet. It scares me," Han replied, genuine concern in his eyes as they tracked his young son._

 _"_ _General Solo," a middle aged Rodian called as she approached in a stark white lab coat. "I'm Dr. Caranik. Commander Skywalker is awake. You may go in if you'd like, but only one at a time. He needs rest."_

 _Thea slumped back into her chair, knowing Han and Leia would see him first. It was at times like this she regretted keeping their marriage a secret. Of course she understood the reasoning behind it, now more than ever, but all she wanted in that moment was to see a certain pair of brilliant blue eyes._

 _"_ _Aren't you going in?" Han asked, gesturing to the door._

 _"_ _I expected you and Leia would go first. You're family after all," she responded._

 _"_ _Leia's stuck in the Senate trying to thwart a civil war on Naboo. I've been giving her hourly updates. And I think his wife takes precedence over his brother-in-law." Thea froze, gaping at Han who returned her stunned look with a smirk. "You two might have thought you had kept it a secret, but wearing that wedding circlet from Jakku was a dead giveaway," Han said pointing to her bracelet. "Clearly Luke forgot how well-traveled a famous smuggler has to be."_

 _"_ _Does Leia know?" Thea questioned._

 _"_ _No, although she suspected something between you two a long time ago. That was the only reason I managed to get her to finally stop trying to play matchmaker for Luke. As far as the marriage, don't worry, I'm not telling her. She's going to be furious when she finds out she missed her only brother's wedding. So how long's it been?"_

 _"_ _Three years," she mumbled, staring at her boots._

 _Han chuckled. "Yeah, you two are on your own when it comes to telling Leia. Now get in there. I know he'll be anxious to see you."_

 _Thea leaned up and lightly kissed Han on the cheek. "Thank you, Han. You really are a softie."_

 _"_ _Don't let that get out," he yelled to Thea's retreating form._

* * *

 _Luke remained in the medbay for nearly three weeks before the staff was ready to sign off on his release. Thea noticed that he was distant, as if he no longer wanted to confide in her. She hoped that leaving the clinical setting would help Luke return to normal. Deep down she knew something was off and expected that her life was careening towards a turning point. She feared that whatever was coming, was going to be devastating._

 _When Thea arrived that morning, Luke was already placing his few personal items into a bag on his bed. Plastering a smile on her face, Thea approached her troubled husband. She lightly touched his shoulder and hid the sting she felt when he flinched at her touch. "I thought we could go stay in my apartment on Chandrila for a few days, away from prying eyes," she said trying to disguise the concern in her voice._

 _"_ _We aren't going anywhere, Thea," Luke responded flatly as he continued to pack his clothes._

 _"_ _Alright. You want to stay on Lothal? That's fine. I'm sure we can find better accommodations while you finish recovering. I've taken indefinite leave, so we can take as long as you need," she replied, fake cheerfulness lacing her words._

 _Luke stiffened and turned his icy blue gaze on her. He took a deep breath. "Thea, you're not hearing me. We aren't going anywhere. This thing between us is over."_

 _Wide eyed, Thea paused, taking a moment to regain her composure. "This thing? Luke we're married. This thing has been going on for almost ten years and now you're going to cut and run?"_

 _Walking towards the door, he stopped to face her. "I was a fool to think keeping our relationship a secret would protect you. I have to walk away from this, Thea. I can survive in a galaxy where I know you're ok, but if I got you killed, I don't know if I could come back from that."_

 _"_ _Luke, what's changed all of a sudden? This new Sith? We always suspected that there could be someone out there. That's why we've lived our lives the way we have, not even telling our closest friends of our relationship. Constantly sneaking around and denying everything anytime one of them got brave enough to question us. Why are you acting as if the galaxy has suddenly been turned upside down? You're ok. Ben's ok. And whoever this Sith is, you'll find him and defeat him."_

 _Suddenly, Luke roughly grabbed Thea's forearms and shook her. "You don't understand. The only reason I survived was Ben."_

 _"_ _What are you talking about?" Thea questioned._

 _"_ _He was about to kill me when this pulse of force energy began shaking everything. It had to come from Ben. It startled the Sith enough that I was able to escape. Thea, I can't protect you. He promised that he would destroy everything and everyone." Thea slowly reached her hand to touch his cheek. Luke grabbed her wrist, stopping her hand in midair before breaking their contact._

 _"_ _This was the entire reason we did the things we did, Luke. He doesn't know about me. He couldn't" she desperately tried to reassure him._

 _"_ _If he doesn't know yet, he will and I'm not willing to take the risk. I've made my decision, Thea. I will not put you in more danger. Unfortunately Leia and Ben don't have a choice. I'll have to protect them as best I can, but I'll be damned if I serve you up to him."_

 _"_ _So I don't get a say in this? I'm just supposed to accept your pronouncement and live with it," she shouted angrily. Luke grabbed his bag, giving her one last look before he opened the door._

 _"_ _Goodbye, Thea," he said quietly as he walked down the hall, never looking back._


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars of its characters.

A/N: Thanks to everyone now following this story. Special thanks to reviewers: Disneysidegirl, knobrien21 and GummyBear1178. You three inspired me to get this chapter out faster. Have a great week all and please review!

* * *

A few hours after Poe left Rey, he found General Organa alone in the mess hall, staring at her empty cup. He could see the turmoil of the galaxy weighed her down just by the furrow of her brow as she was lost in thought. Her eyes met his when she heard his approaching footsteps. Sheepishly, he ran his hand through his hair. "Sorry to disturb you, General. I was snooping for a late night snack."

"It's ok, Poe. I just have a lot on my mind. There are rumors the First Order has set up a blockade of Coruscant. I still waiting for confirmation," she said as she pushed the cup away and continued to rest her elbows on the table.

"I'm sorry, General. Is there anything I can do?" Poe asked concerned by the weariness written across her face.

"Actually, you can. Talk about anything other than the First Order," Leia responded as she gestured for her top pilot to take a seat. Poe sat across from her and hesitated before speaking again. He knew now was probably not the time, but he felt an inexplicable loyalty to Rey and he pressed on. If anyone might have answers, General Organa would.

"Ma'am, could I ask you something?" he questioned.

"What's on your mind, Poe?" Call it a woman's intuition or maybe it was the Force, but Leia suspected she knew what Poe's topic of conversation would be. And if Leia was honest, she couldn't get the young woman from Jakku off of her mind either.

"Did you know Thea Charaeysa?" he asked innocently. Leia raised an eyebrow. Thea Charaeysa was not the young woman from Jakku Leia had expected Poe to ask about, even though she knew her best pilot had been studying the history of Black Squadron.

"So your holovid files have only gotten you so far huh?" Poe gave her a puzzled look. "You don't think I don't know about your little history project, Dameron? There isn't anything that goes on in this base that I don't know about," she said with a soft smile. "Now as for your question, there are probably only two people that can claim to have really known Thea and I'm not one of them, but I'll try to answer your questions."

Poe took a deep breath, wondering if he was being sucked into Rey's delusions. "Did she ever have any children?"

Leia hid the surprise she felt at the question. "I don't know, Poe. I lost contact with Thea about five years prior to her death. She resigned her commission with the Republic and did not return until about a year before she died. We were no longer in the same circles. I was still enmeshed in the politics of the floundering Republic and from what I heard about Thea, she became General Rieekan's aide and was primarily stationed on Chandrila. What prompted the interest in Thea's personal life?"

"General, Rey has this crazy idea that Commander Charaeysa was her mother and now I think she is sucking me into this fantasy she's concocted because I'm starting to believe it's possible," Poe explained in a rush.

"And why are you starting to believe it?" Leia prompted him quietly, so many questions swirling in her own head.

"As you know General, I grew up on Yavin 4. When I was ten years old, I met Thea. She showed up one day in her X-wing. It was the first time I had seen one up close. Of course that was the memory that stood out the most but as I was thinking back, I remembered that she was pregnant. The timing would have been right but I don't know if it's my wishful thinking for Rey's sake that's creating the memory or if it's real."

* * *

 _Ten-year-old, Poe Dameron watched anxiously as his father exited their landspeeder and approached the dilapidated Rebel base on Yavin 4. Kes Dameron turned to his son before entering the base. "Poe, stay here. Let me check on our visitor. At the first sign of trouble, you take the speeder home and send out a distress signal, like I taught you." Cautiously, Kes walked past the X-wing and went to the old hangar bay door. As he peered around the side, he saw a blonde woman staring into the jungle, seemingly unaware of his presence. Silently, Kes continued to watch her, trying to determine whether she posed a threat. His hand rested at his blaster. Slowly she turned and he was face to face with a ghost from the past._

 _Thea seemed startled as she met the gaze of Kes Dameron. Kes spoke first, "Thea Charaeysa. It's been a long time. I certainly didn't expect to find you here when I saw an approaching X-wing."_

 _Thea smiled and embraced Kes. "How are you, Dameron? I had forgotten you had built a home here. I was just stopping to take a nostalgic peek into the past. Sorry to intrude."_

 _"_ _No intrusion, but it appears some things have changed," Kes said glancing at her clearly rounded stomach._

 _"_ _That they have," Thea responded gesturing behind him. Turning, Kes saw Poe peeping slyly from the side of the base._

 _Kes chuckled and gestured for Poe to join them. "I thought I told you to stay at the speeder," he said ruffling his son's curly dark hair._

 _Thea knelt to be eyelevel with young Poe. "This can't be Poe. The last time I saw you, you were just a baby. How old are you?" she asked with a smile that put Poe at ease._

 _"_ _Ten standard years, Ma'am," he answered politely._

 _"_ _Please call me Thea." As Thea stood, Kes reached out a hand to steady her. Quietly, she met his gaze. "He looks so much like Shara. I was so sorry to hear about her. I meant to reach out . . ." She paused. "She was a good friend to me during the war, Kes and I regretted losing touch with her. Not to mention she was a damn amazing pilot," she finished smiling at Poe._

 _Kes nodded and pulled his son closer. "And this one has the flying bug that's for sure. Already can fly Shara's A-wing in atmosphere but he's obsessed with X-wings," Kes stated gesturing towards Thea's ship. "They didn't upgrade you from that old thing, Thea?"_

 _"_ _I've resigned from the Republic so no more ship upgrades for me," she answered. "Again, Kes, sorry to raise any alarm. I hope it's ok. I was planning on camping here for a few days and then I'll be on my way."_

 _"_ _Thea, why don't you stay with us? We have an extra room. There is no reason for you to camp." As Thea opened her mouth to refuse, Kes held up his hand. "I won't take no for an answer. Shara would have wanted it." Thea nodded her head and Kes clapped Poe on the back. "Poe, get Thea's things and we'll take her back and show her the ranch."_

 _Poe's eyes were as big as saucers as he stared at Thea's X-wing. "What about her ship?"_

 _Thea laughed. "I tell you what Poe. Tomorrow I'll let you check out the cockpit," she said smiling at the precocious ten-year-old._

* * *

 _A few days later, Thea wiped her brow as the sun on Yavin 4 beat down. For a few moments she was lost in memories of years past and thoughts of a certain someone who was gone from her life forever. Sometimes the burden felt unbearable and yet Thea was no stranger to heartache. She would survive this as she had the other tragedies in her life. Suddenly her inner monologue was interrupted._

 _"_ _Thea, is this how you lock the S-foils?" young Poe Dameron questioned from the cockpit of Thea's X-wing. Carefully, Thea descended from her perch on the X-wing's ladder to the ground below._

 _Smiling up at Poe, she responded, "That will have to wait until tomorrow," she laughed. "You need to go get your chores done before dinner. Your father will get mad at me for taking you away from them."_

 _"_ _Papa won't care. He knows I've never seen a real X-wing."_

 _"_ _All the same, I think we've covered enough for today," she said to the young boy._

 _Poe sighed and grudgingly left the cockpit, jumping down the last few steps of the ladder. "You promise we can . . ." Poe stopped as he saw a man in an orange flight suit approaching. He positioned himself in front Thea, assessing the threat._

 _Comfortingly, Thea placed a hand on Poe's shoulder. "It's ok. He's a friend. A friend that shouldn't be here," she said raising her voice. "Run along home, Poe. I'll be fine. The child stared up at her, concern in his eyes. "I promise, Poe. I'm fine. Go on." Shuffling his feet, Poe did as he was told, but gave Wedge Antilles a wary glare as he exited the old Rebellion base._

 _"_ _What are you doing here?" Thea questioned as she scaled the X-wing's ladder to secure the cockpit._

 _"_ _What am I doing here? That's your question? Thea, you resigned your commission and disappeared. Luke didn't even know where you were and Luke always knows. Then I get this strange message from Kes Dameron that you've shown up on Yavin. I get here and what do I find? You're pregnant! What the hell is going on?"_

 _"_ _Nothing you need concern yourself with, Wedge. Go home," Thea demanded as she descended the ladder and gathered her pack, walking towards the jungle. Wedge, laid a gentle hand on her shoulder to slow her progress._

 _"_ _Thea, please. You're family to me. I'm worried. Please talk to me." Thea turned with tears in her eyes._

 _"_ _Wedge, I can't. If I start talking then I'll fall apart and that's what I can't do. Fall apart." Wedge placed his other hand on her shoulder and drew her close._

 _"_ _You know you can tell me anything. Please let me be here for you, Thea." Suddenly, Wedge felt her shudder and then the sobs erupted, tears soaking his flight suit._

 _"_ _Wedge, I don't think I can be a mom. I never thought I would get the chance. Honestly, I thought I'd die before that became an option. I'm scared."_

 _"_ _It'll be ok, Thea. You don't have to do this alone. I'll be here for you and I'm sure the father wants to be involved," Wedge said cautiously._

 _Thea jerked back violently, swiping at her eyes. "No, the father is not involved. It was one drunken night, Wedge." Wedge had to keep himself from gaping. This was not like Thea and Wedge didn't know if he bought it but for now, he wouldn't pry._


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

A/N: Thanks so much to all of my reviewers, especially Charmfeather for all of your thoughts. Hope you all enjoy this chapter and please review.

Quietly, Leia Organa reentered the Resistance base. Her emotions warred within in her as she walked through the lonely corridors, most of her troops in the mess hall or in their quarters preparing for a shift change. Leia had suspected something about the young woman from Jakku since they first met, but she buried the feelings deep within because she had no time for distractions. They were officially waging a war. Yet that feeling continued to nag at her, just under the surface of her conscious thoughts until she spoke with Poe.

She paused outside of the war room door and saw Rey's figure at one of the tech stations. No one else was around. Rey had her head resting on the desk. Leia cautiously approached the sleeping young woman and noticed her shivering. Gently, Leia draped a blanket around Rey's shoulders and softly touched her hair. Rey didn't stir. For a moment, Leia was back on the Falcon, draping a blanket around her brother's shoulders after Obi Wan's death. She saw so much of Luke in Rey. How history had a way of repeating itself.

Leia took a shaky breath, guilt welling inside. The words that played like a mantra in her head were "if only." If only she had known. If only she had realized something was wrong with Ben. If only Rey hadn't been a casualty in all of this. If only Luke . . . . Her thoughts came back to her wayward brother. Leia walked to the door and paused briefly, glancing one more time at Rey. Smart, resilient, loyal Rey. What would the truth do to her? What would it do to them all?

Determinedly she walked to her brother's quarters where she found him meditating. For a brief moment she paused observing his serene visage, but quickly her anger boiled. She slammed the datapad in her hand on the table, breaking Luke's concentration. "We need to talk," she said sternly. Luke raised an eyebrow questioningly at his sister but remained silent. "Don't pretend you don't know what this is about. I can't believe you kept this from me of all of people. That girl has a right to know," Leia continued almost yelling.

Luke walked past Leia and closed the door, fearing any passerby might hear his sister. "Leia, I'm not talking about Rey. This is my decision and there were things at play that you didn't know."

"How could you not tell me that you had a daughter?" Leia shouted as she paced the room, hardly able to contain her anger and mad at herself for the tears that sprang to her eyes. Her frustration only grew as she noticed her brother's calm demeanor.

"I told you Leia, we are not discussing Rey."

"So that's it. If it doesn't fit into your master plan, then it's not being discussed. I think you're forgetting who you're dealing with, Luke Skywalker. I've never taken orders from anyone, even you. And I'm assuming Thea was her mother unless you had some other relationship you kept secret from me too." Luke remained silent, not looking at his furious sister.

Leia continued, "Did anyone else know?" When Luke turned his back to her to stare out of the window, realization hit. "By the Force, Luke. Han knew. Didn't he?"

"We aren't talking about this, Leia," Luke responded as he slipped past his sister and left her silently fuming.

* * *

 _Luke sat in the wrecked Jedi Temple on Coruscant combing through the archives. While the exterior had been destroyed during the waning days of the Clone Wars, Palpatine had taken great lengths to preserve the knowledge within. After the fall of the Empire, the New Republic had secured the Temple and allowed Luke to sort through what was left._

 _"_ _Master, surely we've been here long enough today," Ben Solo called out to his uncle as he entered the large antechamber where Luke sat with data files spread before him._

 _"_ _Ben, patience is a virtue that is vital to any Jedi." Ben huffed and plopped himself next to Luke, drumming his fingers. Luke remained unfazed and continued to process the information in front of him. Silently, Ben stalked off to explore the other parts of the Temple while he waited for Luke to finish for the day. Suddenly Luke felt a third presence approaching—someone with a strong, bright force sensitivity. For a moment, Luke's prosthetic hand gravitated towards his lightsaber but he stopped. Whoever was approaching had no ill will. There was an innocence there._

 _Luke glanced towards the door as he heard the soft patter of feet echoing down the hallway. As Luke watched, he saw a little girl, no more than five standard years come through the door. The small brunette girl smiled as she walked to him, her big brown eyes wide. Luke knelt down to meet her level. "Hello, little one. What brings you here?"_

 _"_ _Hi," the child said brightly. "Is this where the Jedi live?" she asked innocently._

 _"_ _They did once. I'm Luke," he said smiling at the child._

 _"_ _I'm Reylen," the young girl responded._

 _"_ _Are you here alone, Reylen?" Luke asked with concern as he looked to see if someone was with the child._

 _"_ _No, Ani told me to come," she said brightly._

 _"_ _Ani? Is that one of your siblings or someone taking care of you?" Luke asked puzzled._

 _"_ _No," Reylen shook her head emphatically. "Salen takes care of me when my mum is working. I left her at the gardens. She said we couldn't come here because it is not open. Ani talks to me in my dreams. No one can see him but me." Luke froze. Reylen couldn't be talking about . . . could she? Before he could prod the child further, Luke heard Ben calling._

 _"_ _I made it to the west side but haven't found anything else . . ." Ben trailed off as he noticed Luke crouched down next to Reylen. Ben looked at his master questioning._

 _Before Luke could answer, Reylen walked up to Ben and outstretched her hand. "I'm Reylen. Are you a friend of Luke's?"_

 _Ben chuckled and took Reylen's hand. "I'm Ben. It's nice to meet you Reylen." As Luke watched the two, a sense of unease washed over him, but he brushed it off._

 _"_ _Ben, your mother is expecting us for dinner. Why don't you go ahead? I'm going to make sure our young friend gets home safely." Ben started to speak but the protest died on his lips when Luke gave him an admonishing stare. Without another word, Ben exited the Temple, leaving Luke and Reylen._

 _"_ _Reylen, did you leave Salen at the Republic Gardens?" Luke questioned._

 _"_ _Yes. I had to because I promised Ani I would come here," Reylen said sensing she might be in trouble. Tears began brimming in her eyes._

 _"_ _Reylen, who is Salen?"_

 _"_ _She watches me when Mum is at work."_

 _"_ _Do you live on Coruscant?"_

 _"_ _No. Mum is here for work. We live on Chandrila. I've never been here before." As Luke continued to study the child, a sense of familiarity began to well inside of him. Those eyes. Her voice. Her presence in the Force. Her "imaginary" friend Ani. Was it possible?_

 _Luke hesitated before asking his next question. "What is your mom's name, Reylen?"_

 _"_ _Thea Charaeysa." Luke had known the answer before she responded and yet his heart sped up, hearing Reylen say the words. There was no doubt in his mind as to Reylen's full identity. He didn't need any further proof, no genetic test. Not wanting to alarm Reylen, Luke took a deep breath and steadied himself._

 _"_ _Well, Reylen. I imagine Salen and your mom are very worried about you. What do you say we go back to the gardens and see if Salen is still there?"_

 _"_ _You'll go with me?" Reylen said hopefully._

 _"_ _Yes. I won't leave your side," Luke said, amused with the little girl._

* * *

 _"_ _Please, Ben. Don't make her watch this."_

Rey awoke with a start and for a moment she was confused by her surroundings. Taking a deep breath, the woman's voice from her dream still echoed in her ears. She knew without a doubt that the woman was her mother. Rey stood from her chair and was surprised when a soft blanket fell from her shoulders. Where had that come from? She stooped to retrieve the blanket and deposited it on a nearby chair. To slow her racing heart, she walked slowly around the room, concentrating on her breathing before taking a seat in front of the datacards she had been reviewing.

Randomly she selected one and pressed play. A group of X-wings came into view and Rey realized she was watching a training simulation. For a moment she was mesmerized by the maneuvers of the pilots as they effortlessly glided through space. Fiddling with the settings, Rey jumped back when suddenly voices began to emit from the holovid.

"Nice shot, Rogue Leader," Black Leader chirped as she made another swoop, effortlessly knocking Hobbie out of the exercise.

"You too, Black Leader," Rogue Leader responded.

"Could you two stop the incessant flirting? I'm about to throw up in my helmet," Rogue Two complained. Before anyone responded, the sensor on Rogue Two lit up showing he had been "killed."

Laugher filtered through the comms. "Looks like you may need some remedial training, Rogue Two," Black Leader quipped as Rogue Two's groaning could be heard through the transmission. Before any of the other pilots could chime in, an authoritative voice interrupted the simulation.

"Skywalker, Charaeysa. On the ground now. General Madine wants to see you both." The recording ended.

Rey bolted out of her seat. She was more convinced than ever that Thea was her mother but did she just hear correctly? Skywalker? Before Rey could process her train of thought, she whirled around to see Poe cautiously entering the room. She opened her mouth to tell him about her discovery when the words died on her lips. His forehead was creased and he was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet. Something was wrong.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

What's wrong?" Rey asked as she walked to Poe.

"I'm being sent on assignment and I wanted you to hear it from me," Poe responded, mock cheerfulness in his voice. If anything, he didn't want Rey to worry. She had enough on her mind.

"Is Black Squadron going on a mission?" she questioned as she searched his face for clues to the undercurrent of anxiety radiating from him.

"No, not this time," Poe said as he paced in front of her. "Admiral Ackbar called me in about an hour ago. Apparently, General Organa was indisposed. It seems one of our highly placed intelligence assets has sent information regarding a possible new base of operations for the First Order. They appear to be taking a page from our playbook in using an old Rebellion base. They may be planning to set up on Hoth."

"You mean the Hoth from the Battle of Hoth during the Galactic Civil War?" Rey questioned with interest.

"Exactly. Ackbar wants me to go and see if I can confirm it." Rey looked up, gaping.

"That's a suicide mission. If they're there, you won't stand a chance."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Rey," Poe said trying to sound light-hearted. "It's not like I've never been on a solo mission before."

"Do you not remember the last one? You were almost tortured to death by Kylo Ren," Rey said her voice rising as she became more agitated at the thought of Poe going on this particular mission. Suddenly her countenance melted into one of resolve. "I'm going with you."

"What?" Poe exclaimed in shock.

"You heard me. I'm going with you."

"No way, Rey. High Command would never authorize that. Besides, you have other things you need to be doing."

"Like what?" Rey said her hands on her hips.

"What about the whole last of the Jedi training thing? I doubt Luke would be okay with his apprentice running off on some dangerous mission."

"First of all it's called a padawan. Secondly, you just admitted this mission is dangerous. And thirdly, I've been on my own most of my life and I've made my own decisions. It's not as if Luke is my father. If I decide I'm going, I'm going," Rey declared continuing to stare down the pilot.

Poe reached and gently touched her cheek. "Rey, thank you for caring like you do, but you have to understand the reality of the situation. You are special and you and Luke may end up being all that stands between the First Order and them reestablishing a galactic empire. Me. I'm a solider and I'm expendable. Don't get me wrong. I intend to come back from this but if I don't the Resistance will continue on. If something happened to you . . . ."

Rey took a step closer, placing her hand on top of his. "That's just it. You aren't expendable to me. Either I come with you or I follow you and put us both in more danger than is necessary."

Poe dropped his hand and shook his head. "You really are impossible. General Organa is going to have my head for this. You better go pack. If you thought Starkiller Base was cold, you have no idea what is waiting for us on Hoth."

* * *

 _Wearing a simple tunic and leggings, Thea plodded barefoot to the door of her Coruscant apartment to answer the light knocking. She knew who was on the other side. Inhaling deeply, she readied herself as she swung the door open. Blue met brown when she took in the sight of Luke Skywalker. "I expected you sooner," she stated simply as she moved away from the door, allowing him to enter. Her heart hammered in her chest anticipating hearing his voice for the first time in over five years._

 _"_ _I needed some time to process things," he said sullenly as he studied her face. She remained silent waiting for him to continue. "She's mine." It came out as half statement and half question. Luke knew that Reylen was his daughter and yet he needed to hear the words from Thea's own lips._

 _"_ _Yes." Thea walked towards the couch gesturing for Luke to sit down but he remained standing._

 _"_ _She's not here," he stated, sensing that Reylen was not in the apartment._

 _"_ _No, she's staying with Wedge. I thought it best she not be here for this."_

 _"_ _So Wedge knew?" Luke asked his voice slightly rising._

 _"_ _Is that what you want to talk about? Who knew what when?" Thea said her own calm resolve beginning to crumble._

 _"_ _It seems like a place to start. Wedge knowing about my daughter before me. Has he known the entire time?"_

 _Thea turned her back to Luke, needing a break from his intense stare. "Wedge found out I was pregnant a few months after I resigned my commission. And before you ask, no I didn't know on Lothal. Wedge asked about Reylen's father once but I led him to believe she was the result of a one-night transgression and the father would never be involved in her life. I suspect that he believed there was more to the story but he never pressed me any further, knowing if he did I would run." With her last words, she forced herself to see the hurt in his eyes, knowing it all too well. She knew she must have worn that same expression their last day on Lothal._

 _"_ _Was this revenge?" he asked quietly, seeking some understanding for her actions._

 _Anger flashed in Thea's eyes as she stepped closer to Luke. "How could you ask me that? How could you even think that? Luke, you're the one that pushed me away. You were so convinced that if I stayed, I would end up dead. That was a risk I was willing to take but that all changed when I found out I was pregnant. I realized that while I would take the risk with my own life, I wouldn't with Reylen. If I was in danger as your wife, Reylen would have been an even greater target. She's your force sensitive, only child. The great Luke Skywalker's heir apparent." Luke knew that Thea's fear was completely rational with the way he had ended things on Lothal. He wasn't angry and yet he was still hurt knowing he missed his daughter's entire life._

 _"_ _But when things had calmed, Thea, why did you never reach out?" he questioned gently, placing his hand over hers._

 _"_ _I . . . " she hesitated unsure how to explain herself. "Luke, I didn't know what to do. You severed all ties with me that day on Lothal. I didn't know what big bad might be out there lurking, and as time continued to pass, it got harder and harder to figure out how to break this to you. I was planning on reaching out to Han while I was on Coruscant to see if you would even be willing to communicate with me . . . ." She trailed off knowing she was rambling. She had truly feared for Rey in the early days and then there was some deep resentment for how things ended on Lothal. As Reylen got older, however, Thea knew what had kept her away. She was afraid that once she told him, she would lose Reylen and that he would never forgive her for not telling him._

 _Luke gently squeezed her hand. "I want to be in her life, Thea."_

 _"_ _I know," she whispered._

 _"_ _Things are more stable now. I've established the academy on Scariff," he continued on._

 _"_ _Luke, you don't have to convince me. I'm not going to steal her away in the middle of the night. She needs you. I know that. All I ask is that we take things slow and that we decide together when to tell her."_

 _Luke nodded his head in agreement. "Thea, Reylen was talking about Ani when we met."_

 _"_ _Oh," she laughed, breaking the palpable tension. "Ani is her imaginary friend. While most children blamed their troublemaking on their imaginary friends, according to Rey, Ani was always trying to keep her out of trouble."_

 _Luke smiled and Thea noticed it reached his eyes. "I hate to break the news, love, but Ani is not imaginary." For a moment, Thea didn't hear what Luke said. All she heard was him calling her 'love.' She shook her head as if to chase away dangerous thoughts, knowing it must have been a slip of the tongue._

 _"_ _What do you mean?" she questioned._

 _"_ _Ani is a force ghost. Reylen has had her grandfather watching over her. He led her to me."_

 _"_ _You mean Vader has been in my daughter's head," she said with alarm._

 _No," Luke responded firmly. "Anakin Skywalker has been protecting his granddaughter."_

 _"_ _You're sure?"_

 _"_ _Almost one-hundred percent. I should be able to confirm it the next time I see Reylen. Can you tell me when that will be?" he asked, waiting silently for her reply._

 _"_ _You're all she can talk about. You can come by tomorrow if you like."_

 _Luke nodded and walked towards the door. "We'll figure this out, Thea. Goodnight." Luke then slipped out the door into the night. Thea slumped against the wall and slid to the floor. She had hoped after all of this time, her feelings for him would have dulled, however, they remained the same. She still loved Luke Skywalker._

* * *

Leia Organa sat in silence aboard the Millennium Falcon, replaying the argument with her brother over and over again. Before his disappearance six years ago, they had become estranged. Neither one of them were the people they were all those years ago in the Rebellion. So much had changed. Leia silently ran her hand over the controls of the Falcon, picturing Han still in the pilot's seat. How had everything come to this? They were the golden three of the Rebellion. Now Han was gone forever and Leia feared that she and Luke would never truly reconcile.

And she still was at a loss about what to do concerning Rey. She desperately wanted to take the girl under wings. She was her niece. She was family and since the destruction of Alderaan, Leia had only had three people who were family. Now one was dead, one likely lost forever and the last had completely shut himself off from her. Rey, however, had no idea that she was the center of a family drama playing out behind closed doors. Rey didn't even know she had a family within reach.

No matter how much Leia wanted to tell Rey, she knew she couldn't. She and Luke may be estranged, but she would never betray her brother in that way. When she had asked him to keep the secret of their parentage all of those years ago, even against his better judgment, he had. Rey was Luke's daughter and the news had to come from him. Leia just hoped that he would make the decision soon. She feared what it might do to the girl if she discovered the truth in some other way. If Leia had learned anything in the last few years, no matter how deeply you bury a secret, it will find a way to surface. Depending on when that happened, the consequences could be devastating.

Pacing around the cockpit, Leia wished so desperately that Han was here. He would know how to reach her brother. Even though they were twins, Han seemed to be the one who held the three of them together. Leia knew Luke confided in him. She wasn't as surprised as she should have been that Han knew about Rey. Luke had always been more than a brother-in-law to Han. They were true brothers, even though they didn't share the same blood. Han was the peacemaker in the family; none more so than the last time the three of them were together. The last night Leia saw Luke before he vanished without a trace.

* * *

 _Han had never felt so utterly useless in his entire existence. How had the galaxy upended itself in less than forty-eight hours and everything they had fought to change seemed to be erased just as fast? Sitting in his Hosnian Prime apartment, his best friend, Luke Skywalker was practically despondent. His wife, Leia, was in denial that their son had betrayed everything they believed and become a murderer. She didn't even know the worst of it and he wouldn't be the one to tell her._

 _Leia crouched in front of her silent and very troubled brother. "Luke, you have to do something. You can reach him. You reached Vader. Ben is not that far gone. You can bring him back." Luke stood shaking off his sister and walked to the window, staring into the night sky. "Luke, say something," Leia pleaded, her voice elevating._

 _Leia walked towards her brother but Han intercepted her before she reached him. "Leia, give him a few moments."_

 _Leia pushed Han away. "We don't have any time to waste, Han. We have to save Ben." Latching on to Luke's arm, tears in her eyes, Leia asked in barely a whisper. "Why won't you save my son?"_

 _Luke whirled around, rage in his eyes as he stared at Leia. "You didn't see what he's done, Leia. He slaughtered them, all of them. Burned the temple and their bodies. There was nothing left. They didn't even have the chance to fight. He led them there. And that wasn't even the beginning. He's been playing me for a fool for years. Don't you understand? All I want to do is destroy him," Luke said shaking, sobs about to overtake him. Leia stood frozen. Cautiously, Han moved between the siblings snapping Leia out of her stunned state. Suddenly her comlink began to buzz. Walking away from the two men, she answered the call._

 _"_ _That was Greer. I need to go meet with Ackbar. The First Order has made its presence known and the Senate is kowtowing to them." Leia wiped the tears from her face and once again she was the composed stateswoman she was raised to be. Without another word, she grabbed her cloak and left the apartment._

 _Han didn't know what to do. He wanted to help Luke and Leia. If he was watching out for them, he didn't have to acknowledge his own pain. For a long time, Luke remained unmoving and Han stood silent guard, waiting to be of some use. Slowly, Luke walked back to the couch and sat down, his head in his hands. "Did you know that Rey asked me once if I grew up with a father? I told her I hadn't known my father and she said that she didn't know hers either but wished she did. Do you know what she did then, Han?" Luke asked, his voice cracking. Han stayed silent, waiting for him to continue. "She threw her arms around my neck and told me she wished I was her father. I never got to tell her. I was surviving, Han but then this and to find out that he . . .." Abruptly, Luke stood again and began pacing the apartment._

 _Luke started to speak, but his voice broke again. There had been times where the dark side had tempted him. Luke knew that it happened to all Jedi, but never had he felt so utterly seduced by what it offered. He wanted something that would stop the suffocating pain that incensed every fiber of his being. The boy, his nephew that he loved as a son, had been responsible for killing his wife and daughter eight years ago, when he was a mere teenager. How had he not seen it? The years of plotting, and yet whenever Luke suspected something was off, he convinced himself he was being paranoid. Because of his state of denial, he had given Ben the chance to destroy the fledgling Jedi Order as his last act of deception. He couldn't fathom that Ben would betray them all so completely. He had destroyed everything and brought darkness back into the galaxy._

* * *

A/N: Thank you all so much for reading! Last chapter was the most reviewed so far. I really appreciate those of you who took the time to send me one! Just a little note on the timeline. I will go back and fill in the blanks between the last scene with Luke and Thea and the Han, Leia, Luke flashback. The timeline hinted at in Bloodline changed the timing in this fic. In an attempt to conform with that, it appears that Ben was still with Luke six years before TFA. The scene between Thea and Luke in this chapter is roughly 15 years before TFA and the Han/Luke/Leia flashback is six years pre-TFA and post Bloodline.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

A/N: Thanks again to everyone who has posted a review. I really appreciate your kind words. They definitely help keep the story going so please post a review for this chapter. Hope you enjoy!

 _"_ _Han, I wasn't expecting you," Luke Skywalker called to his old friend. Han walked down the ramp of the Falcon and warmly clapped Luke on the shoulder. Slowly, he glanced around the tropical paradise of Scariff where Luke had founded his academy._

 _"_ _I'm playing messenger," he stated simply as he handed a small datacard to Luke. Luke furrowed his brow as he stared at the datacard in his hand. "I saw Lor a few days ago at his commune on Jakku. He asked me to deliver this to you. Didn't tell me what it was, but said to tell you that he has the only other copy. It's something you've been looking for."_

 _Luke's lips curved into a smile. "I know exactly what it is. Thanks, Han."_

 _"_ _Care to share what I've been escorting across the galaxy?" Before Luke could answer, both turned as a small voice shouted._

 _"_ _Luke!" Rey yelled as she barreled into Luke's arms, her brunette ponytail swinging wildly. Luke lifted her up as he listened to the little girl chatter happily. "I did it. I moved two stones at once."_

 _"_ _That's wonderful, Sweetheart," he said praising the child. Han stood gaping as he watched the exchange._

 _Suddenly noticing the other man, Reylen reached her hand to Han. "I'm Reylen." Almost too stunned to respond, Han shook his head and grasped the child's small hand._

 _"_ _Hi Reylen. I'm Han." Rey smiled wide-eyed as she looked at Han._

 _"_ _Is he Han Solo, the smuggler?" she asked in wonder._

 _"_ _The one and only," Luke confirmed._

 _"_ _Then that means that's the Millennium Falcon! It made the Kessell Run in 14 parsecs." Luke began chuckling as Han looked affronted._

 _"_ _That's 12 parsecs, kid. What are you teaching her Luke?" Rey wiggled from Luke's arms as she stared up at the ramp. "Go on, kid. There's a furry guy up there that will show you around." Rey beamed as she glanced back at Luke hesitantly._

 _"_ _Go on, Rey. It's ok," Luke prodded as the little girl bounded up the ramp. Luke and Han could hear her talking away to Chewie._

 _"_ _What is that all about?" Han questioned, intently staring down his brother-in-law. As Luke started to reply, both men turned towards the roar of an engine. They watched as an X-wing touched down on the other side of the tarmac. "Expecting someone?" Han asked as they continued to watch the X-wing stop and the canopy pop open. A figure quickly descended the ramp. Suddenly, Luke and Han turned as Rey took off across the landing strip towards the pilot._

 _"_ _Mum!" she yelled as the pilot removed her helmet, a cascade of blond hair spilling down her back. Thea leaned down, scooping Rey into a fierce hug._

 _"_ _How are you, darling?" she asked as she lightly tugged on Reylen's hair._

 _"_ _Mum, look it's the Millennium Falcon. Did you know it made the Kessel Run in 14 parsecs," she chattered as they approached Luke and Han._

 _Han snorted, leaning towards Luke. "You told her that just to mess with me didn't you?"_

 _"_ _Yup and it worked brilliantly," he responded smirking before his expression sobered when Thea stopped in front of them._

 _"_ _Luke," Thea said in greeting._

 _"_ _How are you, Thea?" Luke asked, trying to read her expression._

 _"_ _I'm alright. A little tired. I just got a message to call Rieekan. Is there a holo I can use?"_

 _"_ _Of course," he responded. "You can use the one in my quarters."_

 _Before Thea could reply, Rey began tugging her mother's hand. "Mum, I can take you there. I can show you all around the temple. And then you can meet my new friends and I can show you what I can do with the stones on the beach. I can move them with the Force."_

 _Thea laid a gentle hand on Rey's shoulder. "That sounds wonderful, darling. We have all day but I do need to make this call." Before Thea followed after Rey, she turned to Han. "It's nice to see you, Han."_

 _"_ _You too, Thea," he stated simply, waiting for Thea and Rey to disappear from earshot before turning his attention back to Luke. "Want to tell me what the hell is going on? Why are you playing nursemaid to your ex's kid?" Luke ran his hand through his hair, not meeting Han's eyes. "Unless . . ." Han paused. "She's yours!" he almost shouted as Luke clapped a hand over his mouth, muffling the rest of Han's words._

 _"_ _Shhh! Han, Rey doesn't know. It's complicated," he said in an urgent whisper._

 _"_ _So the Kid has a kid. I don't believe it," Han turned pacing as he rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "I should have known. She acts just like you but fortunately she got her mother's looks." Luke rolled his eyes. "C'mon," Han gestured to the ramp of the Falcon. "Looks like I'm going to be staying a little longer. I can't wait to hear this story."_

* * *

 _A few hours later, waves slowly lapped the shoreline as Thea sat with her toes in the wet sand of the beach. She had spent the day with Rey after arriving on Scariff. She had never seen her daughter happier. Rey was so excited to show her mother the academy and introduce her to the other students. Thea was relieved to see that they all had taken young Reylen in as one of their own._

 _While she was happy Rey had found a place on Scariff, Thea felt a sting of pain. She realized after observing Reylen that the child belonged here. The academy was home for Reylen and now she had a sense of belonging she had lacked in her short life._

 _Leaning back onto the sand, Thea stared up at the starry night sky. She hadn't seen Luke since her initial arrival. In some ways, she was relieved. She wanted to see how Reylen was fitting in on Scariff, so that she could determine what was best for her daughter without her feelings for Luke complicating matters. Thea realized that she would have to let Rey make a home here, without her. While she loved Rey more than anything, Thea knew that she couldn't stay here. She had to finally say goodbye to a dream that would never happen and find a life of her own. While she would visit Rey constantly, Scariff would not be her home. She had no future here or with Luke Skywalker._

 _Gingerly, Thea stood and dusted the sand from her leggings. She walked towards the ocean, dipping her toes in the water and breathing in the salty air. The wind blew her hair and she closed her eyes feeling the cool breeze. "I've been looking for you," Luke said as he strolled up the beach, towards Thea's spot of respite._

 _"_ _You've found me," she said as a slight shiver shook her small frame. She wasn't sure if it was from the breeze or the inevitable confrontation that was brewing._

 _"_ _I checked on Rey. She hadn't fallen asleep yet when I looked in on her. She's so excited you're here."_

 _"_ _I'm glad to see her. She seems very happy here Luke. She said that you tuck her in every night and that her new hairstyle is your doing."_

 _Luke laughed as he raked his hand through his hair. "I never expected to be styling a five-year-old's hair. I had to get creative."_

 _Smiling, Thea turned to face him. "I have to say I expected better than this three bun ponytail you have her wearing. I was thinking something more elaborate with Leia's penchant for braids and twists and I've also seen the holos of Senator Amidala."_

 _"_ _Clearly, I didn't get the hairstyling gene. I have to make do but now that you're here, I'm sure you can fix the disaster."_

 _"_ _Oh no, Skywalker. Now she's committed. She won't let me touch her hair. She says you have to do it." Thea and Luke laughed thinking about the stubbornness of their daughter. Luke visibly relaxed, missing the easy banter they used to share._

 _"_ _Is everything ok with Rieekan?" he questioned as the conversation lulled into an awkward silence._

 _"_ _Yes, but I'm afraid I need to leave for Raxus in the morning."_

 _"_ _Will Reylen be going with you?" he questioned, concern wrinkling his brow._

 _Thea breathed in a shaky breath. She knew she was doing the right thing for Rey and yet saying the words almost caused her physical pain. "No, she belongs here. . .with you." Luke looked at her agape for a moment._

 _"_ _Thea, I don't want you to feel forced into leaving her here. I love and adore her. She will always have a place with me, but I know you are her mother. She needs you. You may think she is happy now, but there have been plenty of tears at night because she is missing you."_

 _"_ _She'll get past that with time and it's not like I will never see her. But, Luke, I know this is where she needs to be. She's destined to be a Jedi and that is something that I can't help her with. Her abilities I don't understand, but you do. You can guide her in a way I can't." She began walking slowly down the beach towards the temple. Luke followed silently next to her._

 _"_ _Thea, why does it have to be one or the other? Your apartment is on Chandrila, but you don't have to be there to work. You've said yourself you travel most of the time and much of your other work can be done from anywhere. Why don't you stay here on Scariff? That way when you aren't on an assignment, you'll be with Rey."_

 _Thea stopped and lightly patted his shoulder. "It's a sweet thought and thank you for offering, but I can't."_

 _"_ _Why not?" he pushed firmly._

 _"_ _Do I really have to explain it?" she asked an air of desperation in her eyes. In that moment, Luke knew he should let it go. He should let her return to the temple and leave on her mission in the morning, but he couldn't._

 _"_ _Yes, I need you to explain it."_

 _"_ _I can't see you everyday, Luke," she responded firmly. He paused, as if someone had knocked the breath from him._

 _"_ _You still carry that much resentment towards me that you can't do this for Rey?" he prodded, the hurt evident in his tone._

 _Turning her back to him and wiping her eyes, her voice came out as barely a whisper. "Is that what you think? The problem, Luke, is that if I stay I will continue giving myself false hope for things that will never happen."_

 _Luke stood rooted to his spot as he watched her make her way back to the temple and disappear from sight. For a moment, he considered letting her go. He had caused her enough pain after leaving her on Lothal, but her words gave him a flicker of hope. Did she still love him? He wouldn't make the same mistake twice. He took off running towards the temple._

* * *

Rey wiped the sweat from her brow as she looked at her surroundings. Sand. Sand everywhere. The wind whipped, sending the sand into her face. She could feel the gritty sting as she turned her head to the sky. This planet seemed familiar and yet it was new. It felt like Jakku, but she knew it was not the planet where she had spent most of her life. In the distance, she saw a young man, wearing white. She could see him clearly and yet he never acknowledged her presence. His blond hair shone almost red in the setting twin suns. She followed his gaze as he was clearly lost in thoughts far away from this planet's surface. She knew that expression well. He was gazing into a galaxy beyond—full of possibilities and uncertainties. As quickly as he appeared, he vanished from her sight.

Frantically, Rey searched for the young man, a sense of desperation prickled within her. She sprinted forward, but she saw no glimpse of him. It made no sense, as if he had been a mirage. Defeated, Rey trudged through the endless mounds of sand. She crumpled to the ground in exhaustion, covering her eyes with her hands. Suddenly, she heard a voice.

"Hello, Reylen," Shocked, Rey lifted her eyes upward and saw a different man standing before her. He appeared to be a few years older than the man in white, wearing brown robes. His golden hair touched his shoulders, but Rey most noticed his vibrant blue eyes. They sparkled as he smiled at her. Deep within her mind, a spark of recognition flickered.

"Ani?" she asked in a whisper.

Anakin chuckled. "I feared you had forgotten me completely, Reylen. I'm glad to see that I was tucked away somewhere in your heart."

"I . . ." Rey hesitated unsure what to say. Confusion whirled in her mind. She knew this man and yet she wasn't sure how. Gently, Anakin took Rey's hand and helped her to stand. In an attempt to comfort her, he lightly squeezed the hand he held.

"Reylen, it's time. It's time for you to remember. Even if it hurts. You must know the truth. It will save you and your father." Before Rey could question him, Ani disappeared and she was inside a ship. As she quickly assessed her surroundings, she noticed several figures in black. Then she saw her. Thea Charaeysa was on her knees before one of those figures.

Rey stared, unable to move or speak. Thea's face betrayed no fear except for the unshed tears that glistened in her eyes. "Please Ben. Don't make her watch this," she pleaded. As she said those words, Rey heard the unmistakable sound of a lightsaber hiss as it was being ignited. Rey started to scream.

"Rey, wake up," she heard a familiar voice command. Rey jolted upright and into a pair of steady arms. Frantically she looked around, realizing she was onboard the freighter with Poe headed for Hoth. She gasped trying to catch her breath as she held onto him. Hiding her eyes for a moment against his shoulder, she listened to Poe's steady heartbeat to slow her breathing. Softly he ran his fingers through her hair as he gave her time to compose herself. In that moment, Rey realized Thea Charaeysa was truly gone. She wasn't merely a figure in a holo, a voice in a recording or a line in the archives of galactic history. She was her mother and she was never coming home.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

A/N: Thank you for the follows and reviews. Special thank you to daydreamer987, SwordMasterZ and Gummybear1178 for taking the time to review the last chapter. Not sure when the next chapter will be up—it depends on when inspiration strikes. Feedback is greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

 _Thea steeled herself against the onslaught of emotions that threatened to overtake her. Closing the door to her quarters securely behind her, she exhaled the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Before she could process her conversation with Luke, a small brunette head popped up from her bed. "Mum?" Reylen asked wide-eyed._

 _Quickly, Thea closed the gap between her and her daughter, seating herself on the bed. Immediately, Rey flew into her mother's arms. Thea swiped a tear as it rolled down Rey's face. "Sweetheart, what's wrong? You should have been asleep hours ago."_

 _"_ _Mum, I had this terrible dream. I came to find you and you weren't here. Then I went to look for Luke and he was gone too. It was so scary," she cried, burrowing her head into her mother's lap._

 _Soothingly rubbing Rey's back, Thea said in a gentle voice. "Well, I'm here now. Sometimes it helps to talk about the things that scare us. What was your dream about, darling?"_

 _Rey sat up, tears still streaking her face. "I was in this place. It was so bright and there was sand everywhere. It was so hot, Mum and I was all alone. I called out for you and you never came. I called out for Luke and he never came either. No one ever came." A fresh wave of tears hit, tugging at Thea's heartstrings as Rey snuggled closer._

 _Thea wrapped her arms around Rey tighter. "Reylen, look at me," she said as she gently cupped Rey's face. "You are safe. You are here where people love and care about you. You are not alone. Even when we're apart, I'm always in here," she said pointing to Rey's heart. "You know so many people love you. Me, your Uncle Wedge, Salen, your new friends at the academy."_

 _"_ _And Luke," Rey chimed in, smiling at her mother._

 _Running a hand down Rey's face, softly, Thea responded. "Yes, most especially Luke."_

 _Suddenly Rey's entire expression changed. "I know that look. What do you want to ask me?"_

 _"_ _Mum . . ." Rey paused trying to contain the grin on her face._

 _"_ _Yes . . ."_

 _"_ _I think that Luke should be my father," Rey stated firmly, staring her mother in the eyes._

 _Thea hesitated not sure how to respond when both girls turned to see the door open. "I guess I didn't get invited to the slumber party," Luke joked as he slid through the door._

 _"_ _Luke!" Rey squealed as she launched herself into his arms and he swung her around._

 _"_ _What in the galaxy are you doing out of bed?" he questioned her with a stern expression that quickly melted into an adoring smile._

 _"_ _I had a bad dream but I talked it through with, Mum and everything is ok now," she said firmly._

 _"_ _She's good at that isn't she? Making everything right," he said as he longingly glanced at Thea. He saw her discretely swipe at her eyes. Turning his attention back to Rey, he lightly tugged on her hair. "What do you say, we get you back into bed?"_

 _Rey nodded her head in agreement. Thea stood from her spot on the bed and approached her husband and daughter. She leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Rey's forehead. "Goodnight, Sweetheart."_

 _"_ _Goodnight, Mum," Rey said as she wrapped her arms around her mother, tugging Thea dangerously close to Luke. When Rey released her, she slowly backed away and watched as the two loves of her life disappeared down the hallway._

* * *

Thought, images and sounds swirled through Rey's head as she tried to process everything from the dream. Nothing was clear except a suffocating sense of loss. Quickly, she disentangled herself from Poe's arms and began pacing as Poe watched, concern evident in his eyes.

"Rey, are you ok?" he asked as she didn't pause or slow. He continued to follow her movements. It was as if she were completely lost in her own world. Her eyes focused forward and yet she seemed to be seeing something that wasn't there.

Poe stood and blocked Rey's path, breaking her from her stupor. Biting her lip, she met his eyes. Poe placed his hands on her shoulders to steady her and waited for her to begin. "She's my mother, Poe. I am absolutely certain and I was there when she died." Rey pushed away from him and began pacing again. Poe continued silently tracking her movements unsure of what to say.

"I'm so sorry, Rey. Do you want to talk about it?" he asked softly. Rey stopped and slumped back onto the bed, holding her head in her hands. Silently, Poe sat next to her and slung an arm around her.

"I can't even process everything. I'm still so confused and now it is like a curtain has fallen. All of these feelings for a person I can't remember. All of these voices echoing in my head that I can't quite place, but I know that I loved her. And some of what I saw, Poe. I can't explain. I'm so . . .lost."

"Why don't we take a deep breath and step back for a minute. You don't have to understand everything this second, Rey. What you've told me would be a lot for anyone to process. We can take it step by step when you're ready." She nodded in agreement.

"I just wish . . ." she said almost in a whisper.

"Wish what?" Poe questioned, watching as she stared ahead.

"I wish that I could talk to someone who knew her, knew what she was like and not have this constant sense that everyone is trying to hide something from me. I just want to know her."

Poe hesitated and then stood to face Rey. "I think she was a lot like you."

"That's sweet to say but you couldn't possibly know that. There's only so much we can learn from a few datacards and some old holos." Poe looked down and started shuffling his feet. "Unless there's something you're not telling me," she stated her voice becoming harsh as she stood from the bed.

"Rey, please hear me out." She glared at him and impatiently began tapping her foot. "I did know her when I was young."

"How?" she demanded, her hands on her hips as she waited expectantly for his answer.

"When I was around ten years old, she came to Yavin 4. She was having a tough time. I really didn't know the details. I was young and was mainly focused on her X-wing. I was already obsessed with being a pilot like my mom."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Rey asked, true concern on her face as she watched her friend struggle with something beneath the surface.

"Rey, before I tell you the rest, please know that I was trying to protect you." Poe briefly turned away from her intense gaze and ran his fingers through his hair. "When she was on Yavin, she was pregnant."

Rey couldn't hide her shock, hurt and confusion as she stood gaping at Poe. Quickly she did the math in her head. She knew roughly the difference in their ages and if Thea was pregnant when Poe was ten, then she had to have been carrying her. "How could you not tell me? I've been in knots trying to figure out if she was who I thought she was. At times I thought I was crazy for believing that she was my mother, and you held the key all along" she responded, an icy chill in her voice.

"I wasn't even sure I was remembering things correctly. And then I realized that if it was true, I'd be the person taking away your chance of ever meeting your mother." A look of confusion crossed her face as he continued. "I knew Thea was dead, Rey, and if she's your mother, she is never coming back."

"You should have told me," she said fiercely, pushing past Poe towards the cockpit. Whirling around, he could see the pain in her eyes. "I trusted you. I am so tired of all of the secret keeping. You, Wedge and I know Luke is hiding things. Why won't anyone tell me the truth?"

"I'm s-" he began before she cut him off, holding up her hand.

"I don't want to hear it." She turned and entered the cockpit. Poe started to follow when BB-8 rolled into his path, giving him a warning warble.

Poe threw his hands up in exasperation and retreated to the back of the ship.

* * *

Leia was seated in her office on the Dantooine base when she noticed Wedge Antilles approach.

"You look how I feel," Wedge quipped as he slid through the door. For a moment, she seemed lost and vulnerable, but as quickly as the chink in her armor appeared, it was gone. The visage of the strong general was firmly back in place.

"It's been a long few days," she said as she continued to scroll through data. Wedge plopped himself into the chair across from her and Leia raised her eyes to his.

Wedge leaned in before he spoke his next words. "Leia, I get the impression there is something more than the First Order weighing on you." Leia stood from her chair as if to pace, reconsidered and sat back down.

"Are you sure you're not force sensitive, Wedge?" she joked, attempting to hide her unease from him.

"I don't need to have the Force, Leia. We've been friends for over thirty years. Am I right in guessing this has to do with a certain young scavenger from Jakku?" Leia's expression revealed nothing as she continued to focus on Wedge. She was always the politician, able to school her face to reveal nothing.

She pursed her lips and crinkled her brow. "And if that were what was troubling me?" she stated noncommittally.

"Then we would be troubled by the same thing," Wedge responded. Leia released a deep breath, trying to ease the tension coursing through her body.

"What do you know?" she asked, searching Wedge's expression for answers.

"I know that Rey from Jakku is not some nobody from a backwater planet. She's Thea Charaeysa's daughter," Wedge stated bluntly.

"I suspected but are you sure?" Leia pressed, her voice low.

"I swiped a genetic sample from her cup and had it run against Thea's sample that was still on file with the Republic military. It only confirmed what I already knew. That young woman is Thea's only child." Leia stood pacing around her small office. Everything was falling into place. She didn't know whether to scream or cry. "But you could have done that yourself, Leia. It's not Rey's mother that has you tied in knots. I think we are both rather confident about her father's identity, are we not?"

Leia froze and placed her hands on her desk. Taking a deep breath, she saw Wedge had stood from his chair. "We can't know for sure."

Exasperated Wedge pounded his fist on the desk. "Oh please, Leia. Stop trying to protect him. We know. It's the only thing that makes sense. They always tried to hide their relationship, but he was it for her. There never was and never was going to be anyone else. I'm fairly certain that he felt the same. He's the only possible father. When I first found out she was pregnant with Rey, she tried to convince me Rey was the product of some one night stand, but I knew she was lying. That's one thing she was never good at besides anything mechanical. She was terrible at lying to me."

"And let's say that you're right. What am I supposed to do with that information?" Leia asked.

"Tell Rey the truth," he said firmly. "Leia, I've tried to confront him and he refused. I am not letting that girl continue thinking that her mother, my best friend abandoned her. I don't know exactly what happened when Thea died. I had assumed that Rey died with her, but I know Thea. She would have done everything she could to protect Rey."

Leia tapped Wedge's hand. "I tried too, Wedge. I confronted him and he shut me down. I want to tell her as well, but I can't betray Luke in that way."

"You have to understand, Leia. I can't betray Thea. I have to tell Rey about her and be there for her. I lost my family long ago, before I met any of you, but Thea became family. She was my sister in all but blood and that makes Rey family, Leia," Wedge tried to explain. Before either could continue, the door burst open.

Eyes flashing, Luke entered Leia's office. "Where is she?" he demanded, his voice even but firm.

"What are you talking about?" Leia asked as her brother closed the door.

"Rey is gone. She's left Dantooine. What did you two tell her?" he demanded in an accusatory tone.

"We didn't tell her anything," Wedge answered, his voice getting louder.

Luke looked to Leia who remained silent as she watched her brother. "Where is Dameron?" he questioned. "She's been spending a lot of time with him."

"Poe left on a mission last night," Leia responded calmly. Suddenly, Leia's eyes widened as she swung the door open and headed for the tarmac. The two men scrambled behind her. Leia immediately saw Jessika Pava and Snap Wexley sprawled in front of an X-wing, tinkering with various parts of the engine. When they spotted the general approaching, they clambered to their feet. "Wexley. Pava. Have you seen Rey?"

"No, Ma'am," Wexley answered, a little too quickly. Leia's suspicions rose. Jess looked at her feet, refusing to meet the general's gaze.

"When did you last see her, Pava?" Leia asked sternly.

"Last night," Jess replied still not meeting Leia's intense stare. Wedge and Luke continued to watch silently.

"What did she say when you saw her?" Leia continued.

"She asked to borrow my cold climate issued parka," Jess stated guiltily.

"Damn it," Leia swore. "You're both dismissed." Snap and Jess needed no other encouragement and fled towards the base.

"What is it, Leia?" Wedge questioned but Luke answered.

"She's gone off with Dameron on a mission involving the First Order," he stated solemnly. "And she walking straight into a trap."


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

 _Haphazardly, Thea shoved various clothing items, toiletries and weapons into her travel bag. She wasn't surprised when she heard her door slide open again. "Is she asleep?" she asked without facing her visitor._

 _"_ _Yes," Luke responded quietly as he slowly walked towards her. Silence filled the room as Thea continued packing and Luke waited patiently for her to face him. Realizing he would have to take action, Luke stood behind her. She could feel the warmth of his breath on her neck. Gently, he reached around her, engulfing her hands in his own to stop her feverish packing._

 _"_ _Luke, please," she said in an almost inaudible whisper. "Please. I can't do this anymore." Carefully, he turned her body so that she was facing him. Slowly, he caressed her cheek._

 _"_ _Thea, I know I have no right and I probably shouldn't do this. If I was a more honorable man, I'd walk away, but I'm not. I'm selfish." Luke paused, seeing the confusion in her eyes. "There hasn't been a night that I haven't reached beside me, hoping you'd be there. There hasn't been a morning that I haven't thought for a few seconds, before reality struck, that I'd find you next me. I know that this is my fault, Thea. I'm the one that in some misguided attempt to protect you, pushed you away. I hurt you and for that, I'll never truly forgive myself, but I need you to know that I never stopped loving you. You have and will always be the only one for me. I wasn't asking you to make Scariff your home only for Rey. I want you here, Thea. I want us to be a family with Rey. I don't want to go through life without you, but this is your decision, Love. I'm the one who created this mess and I don't want to cause you anymore pain."_

 _Thea stood motionless, looking at the man before her. She saw so many men in this face. The brash young pilot she met the night after the Battle of Yavin. The more seasoned leader who sat on a couch devastated over the loss of the first person under his command. The man who was battle weary and whose spirit had almost been crushed after the events of Endor. The husband who stared at her adoringly when they were married in a deserted cavern, filled with glowing lights. The stranger who glared at her coldly and left her alone in the corridors of a medbay on Lothal. And finally the more mature man—the Jedi master, the husband, the father of her child who gazed at her with hope for another chance. Abruptly, Luke released her hand. "I guess that's my answer. I'll never bring it up again, Thea," he stated defeated as he walked away from her._

 _Before he reached the door, Thea grabbed his arm, stopping him. As soon as Luke turned to face her, Thea wrapped her arms around his neck, and crashed her lips to his. For a moment, Luke didn't respond, stunned by her actions, but then he tugged her closer, pressing her body tightly to his. When they finally broke apart, both were gasping for breath. "Promise me," she said breathily._

 _"_ _Anything," he said._

 _"_ _Don't ever walk away from me again," she stated simply._

 _"_ _Never," he said before kissing her fervently as they both tumbled onto the bed._

 _A few hours later, the light peeked through the windows of Thea's quarters. Not opening her eyes, she reached to the other side of the bed, expecting to find the warm body of her husband. She froze when all she felt was cold sheets. Keeping her eyes closed tightly, Thea exhaled to prevent herself from sobbing. Had everything been some pathetic dream? As she willed herself to open her eyes and pull herself together, a voice broke through her thoughts. "I know you're awake."_

 _Thea's eyes popped open and she watched as Luke walked across the room. He shed his robes and slipped back into bed beside her, gathering her in his arms. "Sorry if I woke you. I sensed Rey was restless and wanted to check on her."_

 _Keeping her voice even so that she didn't betray any of her emotions, she asked, "Is she alright?"_

 _"_ _She's back in a peaceful sleep. We should have a couple more hours before she wakes," he responded giving her a mischievous grin before he leaned down to kiss her._

* * *

Even after thirty plus years of friendship with Han and Leia, Wedge had always been a passenger on the Millennium Falcon, never a co-pilot. But here he was, seated next to Luke in perhaps the galaxy's most famous cockpit. They were returning to a planet that he would have been happy never seeing again. Once he, Leia and Luke realized Rey had gone with Poe to Hoth, it had been quickly decided that Wedge and Luke would follow. Although Leia wanted to go, she couldn't leave her responsibilities on Dantooine. There was always the ongoing threat that the First Order would determine their location and she was no longer the young symbol of the Rebellion who could fly off at a moment's notice. She was the leader of this resistance and with that came putting aside her personal feelings. No matter how much she wanted to go to her niece's aid and force a needed conversation with her brother, she was tied to the Resistance. She would have to depend on Wedge to knock some sense into Luke.

A few hours into their flight, Wedge broke the awkward silence. "Are you ever going to talk to me or are you going to be silent the entire flight?"

"I don't know what we have to talk about, Wedge?" Luke responded in his infuriatingly even tone.

"How about Leia for starters?" Wedge stated in frustration.

Luke looked towards Wedge in surprise, expecting him to mention another woman in his family. "What about Leia?"

"How about the fact that she's devastated but she soldiers on, not letting anyone see how hurt she is? C'mon, Luke. She's lost her husband, her son and now she finds out that her brother doesn't trust her."

"It was never about trust, Wedge. Don't you see that? I thought all of the secrecy was protecting them and then I lost them both. Me. I was the one that was supposed to keep them safe. I kept going because I promised Thea I wouldn't shut down and give up," Luke replied his voice cracking. Wedge sat shocked as he watched Luke squeeze his eyes shut and breathe in deeply. The unflappable Jedi Master had a crack in his impervious façade. "And now, I don't know what I'll do if after all of this, I lose her forever this time."

"It's not going to happen, Luke. We'll get there and she'll be fine. We'll bring her back to Dantooine and everything will be alright," Wedge said adamantly as Artoo beeped in agreement. Leaning back in his chair, Wedge watched the stars fly by. The silence felt palpable as the two men sat lost in their thoughts, until Wedge spoke again. "Who would have ever thought we'd be going back to this ice rock."

"I certainly could have lived the rest of my life never setting foot on that frozen wasteland again," Luke declared.

Attempting to lighten the mood and distract his friend, Wedge responded, "Did I ever tell you what I did to Thea when she first landed on Hoth?"

Luke turned to face Wedge, a slight smile on his face as he remembered his wife. He could still see her layered in her rebel issued parka, her face barely visible except for her brilliant brown eyes, and a few wisps of blond hair. He waited for Wedge to continue.

"You know she arrived after your little adventure with the wampa and Solo had already made sure you didn't freeze to death out there. I knew even then that Thea had a thing for you. She stayed tight-lipped, but to me, it was obvious. When she landed, I immediately told her the entire story, but left out the part that you'd already been found."

"What?" Luke asked shocked.

"As you might guess, she didn't speak to me for a month after that. I thought I was going to have to stun her with my blaster because she was determined to go out after you. She was saddled up on a tauntaun ready to go. It took me nearly half an hour to convince her that I was lying and you were fine. I finally had to get Han to confirm it because High Command had you locked away in the bacta tank." Luke couldn't help but smile at the thought of Thea taking out a tauntaun. He still hated those things—that was a stink that never went away, but Wedge's story didn't surprise him. He would have done the same if it had been her, even back then. What he wouldn't give for her to be there in the corridors of Echo base. In his mind, he pictured her running after him as he went towards his speeder. He could still feel her lips brush against his in their first kiss. He could still see the twinge of pink on her cheeks as she raced back to her X-wing.

"Looks like we have few more hours before we reach Hoth. I'm going to meditate," Luke said as he left the cockpit and the ghosts of his past behind.

* * *

 _Rolling over, Luke groaned as he reached for his persistently beeping holoprojector. An image of Han Solo popped up when it was activated. "Han, do you know what time it is here?" Luke complained as he rubbed his eyes, trying to focus on Han's glowing image._

 _"_ _Luke, have you watched the HoloNet?"Han asked insistently._

 _"_ _No, you know I never watch. Why?" Luke questioned as a sense of concern began to talk hold._

 _"_ _There was an assassination attempt against Rieekan on Raxus today," Han responded, his face grim._

 _"_ _What?" Luke bolted out of bed, scrolling for any missed messages._

 _"_ _Luke, she's alright. No one was killed but there's something you need to see. Rieekan contacted me because he couldn't get through to you. He's the only one who has seen the security footage from the hangar bay where the attack took place. I'm sending it to you now."_

 _As soon as the footage appeared, Luke started the playback. General Carlist Rieekan strolled through the hangar bay. To his left, Thea Charaeysa kept in step with him as they continued to discuss whatever business they had the next day. Trailing behind, several other New Republic military members followed the two._

 _Suddenly, two figures in black robes emerged, their faces obscured from view. One immediately shot Rieekan in the abdomen and the General crumpled to the ground. Before anyone could return fire, the other figure tossed a detonator full of what appeared to be knockout gas. All of Rieekan's entourage crumpled to the floor when the two figures turned. Their faces were covered with gas masks and lightsabers dangled from their belts. The hangar was eerily silent when one grabbed Thea, hoisting her upright. He positioned a gas mask over her nose and mouth and she immediately regained consciousness. The figure in black leaned in, whispering something in her ear. He then jerked the mask away and Thea blacked out._

 _Luke breathed in deeply, not realizing he had been holding his breath as he watched the replay of the day's events. "Where is she, Han?"_

 _"_ _I checked with our installation on Raxus. They reported that Commander Charaeysa left the planet seven hours ago."_

 _"_ _Which would mean she should be here in another three," Luke completed Han's thought as he paced around his quarters. "Thank you, Han."_

 _"_ _Luke, are these guys connected to the Sith that kidnapped Ben?" Han asked, worry wrinkling his brow._

 _"_ _I'm not sure, Han," Luke said as he rewound and watched the footage again._

 _"_ _If you need anything, let me know. She's smart and resourceful, Luke. I'm sure she's fine and on her way back to you," Han stated._

 _"_ _Good night, Han," Luke replied, severing their connection. Without thought, Luke wandered to the academy's landing pad and kept vigil, waiting for Thea's X-wing and to prove Han right._

A/N: Don't hate me. Rey and Poe will be back in the next chapter. Thank you to those of you who are following and have favorited this story. And special thanks to the few who take the time to review. It is much appreciated. Please let me know what you thought of this latest chapter.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

 _The cool breeze ruffled Luke's hair as he paced the tarmac, only stopping when he sensed a new presence. "I thought you were sleeping, Sweetheart," Luke said as he crouched down in front of young Rey. Luke gazed at her for a moment. She looked so much like her mother. Her hair was darker, but the eyes were the same. Before Thea had left for Raxus, the two decided it was time to tell Rey the truth when Thea returned. Now with this new threat, Luke knew it would be safer for Rey to remain in the dark. Being his daughter only made her a greater target and if his enemies didn't know, he intended to keep it that way._

 _"_ _Luke, if something happened to my Mum, where would I go?" she said in a small voice, rubbing the sleep from her eyes._

 _"_ _Rey, why are you worried about that?" Luke questioned the child gently, as he sat on the ground._

 _Rey climbed into his lap. "I don't know. I know some kids have two parents and I don't. I have Uncle Wedge and I have Salen. Would I go live with one of them?"_

 _"_ _You have me," Luke stated simply._

 _"_ _But you're not my father," Rey said innocently. Luke hesitated, wanting so badly to tell her the truth._

 _"_ _Rey, you would stay here. You will always have a home with me." Suddenly her face lit up and she flung her arms around his neck._

 _"_ _You mean it? I wish you were my father, Luke." Luke remained silent, holding her tighter. He wished that he could keep her here, safe from everyone and everything, so that she could never be hurt. He never wanted her to lose the innocence in her big, brown eyes._

 _Luke looked up when he heard someone clearing his throat. "Is everything alright, Master?" Ben Solo questioned as he stood above Luke and Rey. Instinctively, Luke held Rey tighter._

 _"_ _Yes, Ben." Before Luke could continue, he heard the roar of an X-wing engine and a flash of running lights._

 _"_ _Mum!" Rey announced. Luke stood, still holding Rey in his arms._

 _"_ _Ben, would you make sure that Rey gets back into bed?" Luke asked, giving Ben a meaningful look._

 _"_ _Of course," he said as he lifted Rey into his arms._

 _"_ _But—" Rey started._

 _Luke placed a kiss on her forehead. "You'll see her first thing in the morning, but your mom and I have some things to discuss." Rey wanted to argue, but she remained quiet as Ben gently set her on the ground. He took her hand and led her towards the temple._

* * *

Poe and Rey walked through Echo Base. As they took in their surroundings, the only sounds were BB-8's gentle whirring and the echoes of their boots on the metal floor. Poe studied his companion out of the corner of his eye. After their argument, Rey had remained silent for the remainder of their journey to Hoth. Poe hated the distance between them. He felt as if he had lost a piece of himself. Over the past few months of their growing friendship, Poe had tried to ignore his emerging feelings for the young woman from Jakku. He had convinced himself that Rey was merely a friend. They had both suffered losses in life and unfortunately, they had both suffered at the hands of the First Order. And yet, Poe now realized that he had deeper feelings for Rey than camaraderie. He was uncertain whether he was ready to call it love, but it was something and it was complicating things. Poe stirred from his reverie as BB-8 bumped into a piece of shrapnel from a long ago battle in these frozen halls.

Rey shivered when she realized that Echo Base appeared as if it was frozen in time. Remnants of a speedy retreat and battle filled the cold, bleak space.

"Doesn't look like anyone is here. Must be a false alarm," Poe stated as he nudged a wayward piece of metal with the toe of his boot.

"Something isn't right," Rey said softly as she followed Poe through the old command center.

"So you're talking to me again?" Poe asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"For now, but I'm still mad at you," Rey declared with a slight smile as she walked down one of the side corridors.

"I can live with that," Poe said to her retreating back. Seating himself on a crate, Poe waited for Rey's return. He knelt beside BB-8, preparing to record a message for General Organa when he heard heavy steps growing closer. Poe put a finger to his lips, attempting to silence BB-8, as he crouched behind the boxes. He hoped Rey would remain out of sight.

"I should have known she'd send you, Dameron," a masculine voice called. "She couldn't resist verifying whether we were here. It really was a simple trap. Come out unless you want me to kill you where you stand."

Slowly Poe stood and considered the man in black robes. Even though the voice was different and the face unmasked, a chill went through Poe's soul as he stared into the black eyes of Kylo Ren. "I didn't know you missed me so much, Ren. New scar? However did you get that?" Poe gestured towards the scar above Kylo Ren's eye.

"It's quite comical that you still think you matter in this," Kylo responded as he reached his hand towards Poe. Before Poe could speak, he began coughing for air as the pressure on his neck increased. "Scavenger, I know you're here. Come out, come out wherever you are. Unless you want me to snap your friend's neck. Really I'd prefer to be rid of him."

"Let him go, you monster," Rey demanded as she strolled from the corridor, her fingers lightly brushing the lightsaber at her waist.

Kylo immediately dropped the hold he had on Poe and the pilot crumpled to the floor, unconscious. "You know I didn't think Skywalker would be so careless as to send you here alone." Stalking his prey, Kylo circled Rey. He studied her, searching for any changes from the last time they met. He sensed her anger had chilled to a calm that infuriated him. That was unfortunate.

"What did you hope to gain from this little trap of yours?" Rey questioned as she followed his every movement.

"Tsk, tsk, Scavenger. You're asking the wrong questions. I thought perhaps I would get a kernel of information about Organa and Skywalker from the insufferable pilot. I never could have imagined I would have this opportunity so soon."

"And what opportunity would that be?" Rey asked as she backed away from Ren, hoping to keep him squarely in front of her and away from Poe's lifeless form.

"Why, to educate you of course," he responded matter-of-factly.

"There is nothing you could teach me that I'd want to learn," she spat, venom in her voice as a burning anger began to build.

"Ah, there it is. The fire. Don't you see, Rey. That is where the power comes from. Skywalker wants to keep you from your potential. If you would just unleash your anger, your rage, we could be unstoppable."

"You don't really understand 'no,' do you?" Kylo stepped closer, but Rey stood her ground.

"Still not asking the right questions." Kylo taunted. He took another step, putting him within arm's reach of Rey. Rey unclipped her lightsaber. "Now, now. There is no need for that. This is just a friendly conversation. Aren't you tired of being kept in the dark, Rey? Everyone lying to you."

Rey froze, terror coursing through her veins for a moment until she inhaled, calming herself. "Stay out of my head."

"Are you sure that's what you want, Rey? Because all of those answers you are so desperate to find. All of those answers about your . . . mother are there. I can help you find them, if you let me." Rey bit her lip, hoping the pain would distract her from considering his offer. Suddenly, she tasted the tang of blood in her mouth. "Everything you want to know Rey, is just beneath the surface. Let me in."

* * *

 _Thea ambled across the tarmac, spotting Luke immediately. Wordlessly she walked straight into his open arms. She nuzzled her face into the warmth of his shoulder, breathing deeply. "You're not hurt?" he asked gently, not lessening the tight hold he had on her. Her head moved in silent affirmation._

 _"_ _Rey?" she questioned as she pulled back slightly to look into his blue gaze._

 _"_ _Safe and sound in her bed," he responded. He felt Thea's body go slack in his arms as she released the tension in her shoulders._

 _"_ _You've seen the security holo?" she asked as she refused to loosen her arms that were tightly anchoring him to her._

 _"_ _Yes," he stated as he tried to quell the questions swirling through his mind. Gently he pulled her arms from around his waist and pushed her back slightly so that he could see her face. He ran his hand down her cheek. "What did he say, Thea?"_

 _Shakily she cleared her throat. "He said to tell you that he knows about the girl and the Supreme Leader always keeps his promises." Luke inhaled and exhaled as he processed Thea's words. For a moment, he was back on Lothal fighting for his life. He could hear the words in that voice, his voice. At the time, he didn't know what it meant, but now it was painfully clear. "Luke, do these men work for the Sith you faced on Lothal?"_

 _Luke squeezed his eyes shut, as the painful memory assaulted his senses. "Yes._

 _"_ _What did he promise you?" Thea asked, fear lacing her words._

 _Stepping away from Thea, he turned his back, focusing on the ocean waves below the landing strip. Thea cautiously approached, taking his hand and intertwining their fingers. "He said that he was the harbinger of the Dark Side. He would be the catalyst that extinguished the ray of light in the galaxy."_

 _Suddenly, Thea dropped Luke's hand and stood to face him. "He said the word "ray?" she asked firmly. Luke could only nod. Stunned, Thea gasped placing her hand over her mouth to muffle a cry. Several minutes of silence stretched until Thea finally spoke._

 _"_ _I have to take Rey and run," she stated calmly._

 _"_ _I know," Luke responded sadly._

 _"_ _And you're not coming," Thea said, half question and half statement._

 _"_ _I can't, Thea. This could be a ruse to attack the academy. The students here wouldn't be able to defend themselves against him. I could barely defend myself the last time I faced him."_

 _Thea stared at him. "I guess I should be used to this. It's how we have always lived our lives. The greater good. What's best for the galaxy. Is it wrong that for once, I want to be selfish?" Luke touched her shoulder, but Thea shrunk away._

 _"_ _Thea, this isn't permanent," he said in an even tone._

 _"_ _You don't know that. You haven't found him in over five years," she stated firmly._

 _"_ _That's not what I mean." Thea turned to face him, a question in her eyes. "I'm sending you ahead with Rey. I am going to do what I can to secure the academy, whether that is sending everyone away or doing something to fortify it. And then. . ." he paused._

 _"_ _Then?" she questioned, her voice rising slightly._

 _"_ _Then, I am coming for you and Rey. If we have to run, if we have to stay hidden, we'll do it as a family. For once, I'm putting the two people I love most in the galaxy first." Luke pulled her close and held her, listening to the steady beating of her heart. Finally, she pulled away._

 _"_ _I need to go check on Rey and pack her things. We should probably leave in the next few hours." Luke nodded his head solemnly as Thea walked towards the temple. After Thea disappeared, Luke sensed a presence in the Force coming to him. Without turning he called out, "What can I do for you Ben?"_

 _"_ _Master. . . Uncle Luke. I couldn't help but overhear," Ben Solo walked from the shadows._

 _"_ _You mean you couldn't help but eavesdrop," Luke responded, chastising his nephew._

 _"_ _Uncle Luke, is the person responsible for the attack on General Rieekan the same man who kidnapped me all of those years ago?" Ben questioned._

 _"_ _I'm afraid so," Luke said as he focused on his nephew. He sensed something in Ben's demeanor that concerned him. Luke shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He ignored his unease, convincing himself that Ben was concerned his kidnapper might be closer than they thought._

 _"_ _And he's a threat to Rey and her mother?" he asked innocently._

 _"_ _It appears that way," Luke said as he gazed at the sky, trying to quell the fear that bubbled up within him._

 _"_ _Master, you said that during the Clone Wars, padawans often went on their own missions." Luke turned to study Ben. He waited patiently for Ben to continue. "I was thinking maybe I could help. I know that you can't leave the academy, but maybe I could."_

 _Luke wrinkled his brow, unsure of where this conversation was going. "Ben, what are you talking about?"_

 _"_ _I should go with Rey and Commander Charaeysa. I could offer them some extra protection," he stated boldly._

 _"_ _Ben, I don't think so. You are still a student and not ready to face a Sith. You're only sixteen."_

 _"_ _But Uncle Luke, Commander Charaeysa isn't a Jedi and Rey is too young. Wouldn't they have a better chance if they had someone Force sensitive with them? I could warn them of danger and help them navigate unseen," Ben insisted. Luke paused contemplating Ben's idea. He had to admit it made sense, and yet something Ben was projecting caused him to hesitate. Once again, he brushed the feeling aside._

 _"_ _I think you're right, Ben but I need you to understand your role." Ben eagerly awaited Luke's directive. "You are to help with escape if it comes to that. You are never to engage these dark side users. Do you understand me? Your priority is to get them and yourself out of any situation alive, not to destroy the Sith You then immediately contact me. Do you understand?"_

 _"_ _Yes, Master," Ben replied, inclining his head slightly towards his uncle._

A/N: Well, I can't believe we are to Chapter 17. Thank you so much to reviewers Charmfeather, PrincessStarberry, Gummybear1178 and new reviewer prydain. I greatly appreciate reviews and look forward to hearing your thoughts on this chapter. Thanks for reading!


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any of its characters.

 _Thea was exhausted as she landed her light freighter on Takodana. She had been on the run with Ben and Rey for nearly six weeks. They first stopped on Coreilla for much needed supplies. Not long after, they spent some time on Naboo and then after that was Akiva. She could hardly keep track of where she was or how long she'd been there. Rey had taken the entire trip as an amazing adventure for which Thea was exceedingly grateful. Even though Rey seemed to be enjoying spending time with Thea and Ben, she asked every day like clockwork when they'd see Luke again. And every time she asked, the question stabbed Thea in the heart as if she was hearing it for the first time. She and Luke had agreed. They would have no contact for at least nine weeks and only then after Thea had settled somewhere she felt safe. That brought them to Takodana._

 _Reylen gaped as she stared at the castle before her with all of its brightly colored flags fluttering in the wind. Thea turned to Ben and Rey, holding up a hand to stall their progress to the entrance. "This is no place for you two. I'm going to go procure a new ship. Wait out here. I'll be back soon." Thea walked towards the door and paused for a moment, glancing back at Ben and Rey. Something was nagging at her when she studied Han and Leia's teenage son. Shaking her head, she ignored the sudden sense of foreboding, chastising herself for being paranoid. Everything had gone well since leaving Scariff. This was the final step in reuniting her family. Once she acquired a clean ship, the three of them would find refuge with Lor San Tekka's Church of the Force on Jakku. Thea knew Jakku well and trusted Lor completely. Furthermore, she knew his followers would protect Rey and respect Luke's need to hide them when he arrived._

 _Within an hour, Thea had a new ship that would be perfect for transporting her precious cargo safely to Jakku and to a nearing reunion with Luke. Thea squinted as she stepped out into the light of Takodana's sun. Before she could find Ben and Rey, a hand grasped the sleeve of her flight suit, stilling her progress. Thea turned to appraise her accoster and was surprised to see the proprietor of the establishment, Maz Kanata. Thea had never personally met Maz but knew her husband and Han had come through this centuries old watering hole on many occasions. Remaining silent, she watched Maz as she adjusted her glasses._

 _"_ _You my dear have the eyes of someone who is running," Maz said. Thea remained silent, unsure of how to respond. "I sense something close. Protect the light from the dark, my dear and May the Force be with you." Before Thea could respond, Maz was gone, disappearing into the crowd. Quickly, Thea walked to Ben and Rey, ushering them to their old ship to get their personal belongings and then on to their new transportation._

 _Rey skipped up the ramp of the second freighter, in much more disrepair than their previous ship. It was, however, unassuming, which was the main criteria these days. Thea entered the cockpit as Rey plopped herself in the chair behind the pilot's seat. Thea keyed in the coordinates for Jakku and began prepping for takeoff. As the engines fired up, Thea realized that Ben had never entered the ship. Concerned she walked towards the ramp, looking for the wayward young Jedi. Suddenly, four figures in black cloaks appeared, blasters pointed directly at her. One of the hooded figures pressed his blaster into her side. "Commander Charaeysa, if you'd be so kind as to board your ship. It really is time we get going." Thea's blood ran cold as she shuffled up the ramp. Her only hope was that Ben had somehow escaped and would alert Luke._

 _When the boarding party entered the cockpit, Rey's eyes widened in alarm. In a steady voice, Thea focused on her daughter. "It's alright, Sweetheart. Stay where you are."_

 _One of the cloaked figures pushed forward, pressing his blaster to her head. "Don't try anything stupid," he said in a low growl. He then shoved her back towards, Rey, where she landed hard on the metal floor. Her eyes watered as pain shot through her shoulder. The angry figure seated himself in the pilot's seat and his hood slipped briefly from his head. Thea gaped in shock when she realized one of their kidnappers was their supposed protector, Ben Solo. Her eyes shifted between Ben's flashing yellow eyes, and Rey's stricken face. In that moment, hope died._

* * *

Slowly, Poe blinked as he stared up at Kylo Ren and Rey, facing off against each other. He tried to shake away the fog that clouded his mind. He couldn't hear what the two were saying, but fear pierced his heart when he saw Rey collapse to the ground. Desperately, he tried to fight the threat of unconsciousness, as he watched Ren approach her motionless form. Before everything went black again, he saw a man in the passageway wearing gray robes.

"Well, Uncle, I certainly didn't expect to see you here," Kylo Ren taunted in an attempt to hide his alarm.

"Your thoughts betray you, Kylo. I can sense the fear in you," Luke said as he walked towards his wayward nephew.

"So you've finally accepted that Ben Solo is dead?" he stated, his lightsaber still pointed at a motionless Rey at his feet.

"Yes, I accepted that long ago," Luke said emotionless.

"I have to say, I didn't think you would send the Scavenger here . . . Ah, I see. You didn't. She's quite the little rebel, isn't she? Maybe she and I have more in common than you think. Perhaps she'd like to join me and not be constrained by your ridiculous rules."

"Let her go, Kylo. You know this isn't about her," Luke said as he tried to get closer to Rey.

"Not a step closer," Kylo stated as he moved his ruby blade closer to Rey's cheek, enough to singe a lock of her hair. "You know that is the first thing you've said that wasn't a lie, Skywalker. This isn't about her. She's a pawn in all of this. Insignificant which is why I think I should put her out of her misery. Perhaps reunite her with her mother." For a moment, anger surged through Luke like a fire before he smothered it. Kylo knelt next to Rey, watching the turmoil in his uncle's eyes. "You know there is no way you can stop this. Just like you were helpless when I killed her mother." Kylo ran a finger down her cheek and then placed his hand around her throat. Rey remained unmoving.

Luke knew he was right. Strategically, Kylo had the upper hand. He was simply too close to Rey. While Luke would undoubtedly kill him, it wouldn't be before Kylo ensured Rey died with him. In that moment, Luke realized he would have to appeal to his nephew's obsession with Vader. "You don't want to do that, Kylo. She's a bigger part in this than you think."

"What ridiculous story are you concocting now? You know nothing you say has any meaning for me. You and my mother tried to keep my legacy from me. If not for the Supreme Leader, I might have never realized my true destiny," he pontificated, not moving from Rey's defenseless form.

"You're so concerned with Vader's legacy. Why do you think his lightsaber chose her?" Abruptly, Kylo stood, glaring at Luke, rage blinding him. That question had disturbed him for months.

"What do you know?" Kylo growled, his focus now completely on Luke. Taking a step forward, Luke inched his way towards Rey.

"She's a part of this legacy too," Luke stated simply. Turmoil churned behind Kylo's eyes as he was further distracted by his uncle's words.

"Impossible. She's just a scavenger from a backwater planet," Kylo spat in fury. By this point, Luke had managed to place himself between Kylo and Rey. In his peripheral vision, he saw Wedge leaned over Poe's lifeless form. He sensed the young pilot was still breathing.

"His blood runs through her veins, as well, Kylo. She's the one that will carry on Anakin Skywalker's legacy, not Vader's," Luke announced calmly.

"No," Ren said quietly. "She can't be. She's your . . . ."

"Daughter," Luke declared. Suddenly, everything began to shake and the fragile ice walls crumbled. Luke glanced at Wedge who was helping a woozy Poe to his feet. Scooping Rey up, Luke followed them towards the Falcon, only briefly glancing behind him. He saw a glimpse of black disappear in the opposite direction.

* * *

Rey shivered as Poe draped a blanket around her shoulders. She didn't think she would ever get used to the cold of space. Deep down she knew it wasn't the temperature. Images of Thea's murder, her mother's murder still haunted her mind. She had only seen flashes when Kylo Ren once again invaded her mind, but she was certain that he had killed her all of those years ago. Feelings of rage and despair coursed through her being. Rey couldn't sit still and yet she couldn't make herself move. Even worse than the red hot anger was the guilt. There had been times on Jakku, those lonely cold nights when she had cursed her mother, believing that she had abandoned her. Now the harsh reality was before her. Thea Charaeysa had never left her forgotten on that lonely planet. She hadn't returned because she wasn't able to come back.

Poe studied Rey's expressions as they flit across her face. She hadn't spoken since they had boarded the Falcon and flown from the icy chill of Hoth. He could see her lip slightly tremble before she breathed deeply, steeling herself against any onslaught of emotions that might spill over. Poe looked up as Luke entered from the cockpit, seating himself across the table from Rey. "He murdered my mother," she said, a small crack evident in her voice.

"I know," Luke responded softly. As Poe watched the Jedi, he saw the pain evident in his deep blue eyes. Silently, Poe slipped from the room, back to the cockpit. He knew whatever was about to transpire was between Luke and Rey.

"How could you not tell me?" Rey demanded from her master.

"Rey, you must understand. You are in a very perilous time in your training. After you told me what happened on Starkiller Base, I knew that you had tapped into the dark side. Rage, anger, fear, they are the dark side."

"What about lies? Deceit? Aren't those the dark side?" Rey asked, steel in her voice as she rose from her seat. Luke remained silent until she calmed herself and sat back down. "I only saw flashes of what happened. Why do I have no memories of my childhood before Jakku?"

Luke clasped his hands in front of him. "I'm not sure. I suspect that after the trauma you witnessed, the Force formed a wall around certain memories. It's almost as if the Force itself was trying to protect you."

"I need to see what happened the day she died. I need to see it all. She was saying something, but I couldn't hear it. Can you unlock that memory?" she asked beseechingly.

"Rey, there was a reason you haven't remembered. I think it is best that you leave those memories in the past."

"I don't. I have to know. I owe it to her," Rey responded firmly.

"Your mother wouldn't want that for you, Rey," Luke said gently as he reached out to grasp her hand.

Rey jerked away. "How would you know what she wanted? I can't keep living like this. Don't you see? As long as this piece is missing, Kylo can use it to manipulate me. You saw what happened today. He used it as a weapon. You know that I can't continue to hide from the truth. You know how I can unlock the memory, don't you?"

Luke stood abruptly, turning his back to Rey. He breathed in deeply, hiding the tremble of his hand. "Yes, but I would have to enter your mind, Rey."

Standing, Rey pressed her palms to the table. "Then do it," she said resolutely.

For a long time, Luke stared off into nothingness. A sense of foreboding welled within the Jedi Master as he considered Rey's request. If he agreed, he would not only show Rey the tragedy she had obviously witnessed, but he would see it for the first time himself.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for the favorites, follows, reviews and comments. Special thanks to my new reviewers. We are getting closer to the big reveal so stay with me. I try to update on the weekends.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

 _Crimson blood dripped onto the cool, metal floor of the freighter's cargo bay. Thea wiped her lip and touched her cheek where a new bruise blossomed. Her last attempt at escape had been thwarted and now she was resigned to her fate. Lovingly, she looked down at Rey's sleeping form. Her daughter was curled up in her lap, her steady breathing the only comfort Thea had as her inevitable execution loomed. Thea stroked Rey's hair and stared off into the emptiness of the room. She whispered, "Anakin, if you really are here, please hear me. Watch over her. Guide her away from the mistakes you made in life. She has a power I could never understand. I had hoped I would be here to ground her, but I know now she is going to have to find her way without me. Please watch over her, Anakin." Thea's voice broke as Rey began to stir. She gently shook her daughter, "Rey, Sweetheart. Wake up. We need to talk."_

 _Rey sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. They widened when she saw her mother's bruised and bloody face. "Mum, you're hurt," she said as she carefully traced the black and blue mark on her mother's cheek._

 _Placing her hand over Rey's small one, Thea squeezed it comfortingly. "Rey, I want you to know that no matter what happens, I will always love you. Even when you can't see me, I'll always be in here," Thea said as she put her hand over Rey's heart._

 _"Where are you going, Mum? I want to go too," Rey said, her brow crinkling in concern. Thea brushed a stray strand of hair from Rey's face, tucking it behind her ear. Rey's gaze seemed to delve into her very soul, an understanding dawning on her features._

 _"Sweetheart, you can't go where I'm going. Not yet," Thea stated, praying that she was right. The only thing that kept her going was that Rey might survive this. "Now, listen carefully, Rey. You may be scared for a while, lost, but you have to remember this. Your father will come back for you, Sweetheart."_

 _"But I don't have a father. And I want you Mum," Rey cried, snuggling into her mother's arms._

 _"You do, Sweetheart. And he loves you very much. He will find you, Rey. No matter where you are. You look at me," she said as she lifted Rey's chin. Her voice broke but she pushed on, knowing these might be her last words to her daughter. "You never give up. He will come back for you, Sweetheart and I'll always be with you."_

 _Rey and Thea straightened as they heard the echo of boots entering the cargo hold. Rey clung tighter to Thea. She heard Rey gasp as a man with a scarred face entered the room. "You," Thea spat, recognition sparking in her mind. The man remained silent, gesturing to two other hooded figures. They grabbed Rey tugging her from the safety of Thea's embrace._

 _"Mum!" Rey screamed as they pulled her away. Thea watched helpless as the men hoisted her daughter away from her reach. She stretched her arms out, powerless to stop them as Rey continued to struggle._

 _"It will be ok, Reylen. Remember what I told you." For a moment, Thea squeezed her eyes shut, determined not to let Rey see her fall apart._

 _The disfigured man spoke, his voice booming through the empty cargo hold. "Kylo Ren, come forward." Another figure in black advanced and Thea recognized his silhouette. It was Ben Solo. "It is time for you to take your place among us, Kylo Ren. You know what is to be done." The two other cloaked sentries dragged Thea to the middle of the room, forcing her to her knees in front of Kylo Ren._

 _Kylo sneered at the bruised and bloody woman before him. "You never should have come to Scariff. You became the perfect pawns, you and your daughter. You are merely a tool for me to achieve my destiny—the one my family tried to hide from me. The mighty Luke Skywalker, distracted by a mere child who could never have the potential that runs in our blood, in my blood. The destiny that he denied, that he betrayed."_

 _"If you are going to do this, Ben, then look me in the eyes. Don't hide like a coward behind that hood." Kylo Ren jerked his hood from his head, his dark eyes blazing. Before she could contemplate what was happening, he punched her in the face. Pain radiated through her, making her eyes water. It comforted her, however, that Ben didn't know who Rey was. That might offer her some protection, although she was certain that Ben's Supreme Leader knew._

 _"That's enough, Kylo Ren. Be done with it," his master demanded. Kylo Ren inclined his head and reached for his lightsaber. Thea could see the slight tremble in his hand. With a hiss that reverberated through the cargo bay, a green light cast everyone in a sickly tint._

 _Thea's eyes widened as Ben, no Kylo Ren, lifted his lightsaber. "Please, Ben. Don't make her watch this." Without another word, he swung down, and Thea crumpled to the ground. A single tear fell down her cheek. Rey screamed._

* * *

Rey's scream reverberated through their campsite on Yavin 4. The weary travelers had landed there at Luke Skywalker's insistence. When they escaped Hoth, they discovered that Leia and the Resistance were on the move. The First Order struck on Dantooine. Yavin, Poe's home world, became a place of sanctuary for the four humans and two droids.

Wedge and Poe sprinted for the campsite, where they found Rey and Luke. Rey sat slumped over, her face in her hands. Luke sat eerily still, his eyes staring into nothingness. Without making a noise, he stood and walked into the dark jungle, leaving behind the fire's warmth and glow. Wedge gestured towards Rey as he made eye contact with Poe. Quietly, he slipped away and Poe walked towards Rey's still form. He crouched next to her, reaching out a tentative hand to touch her shoulder.

Suddenly, Rey stood and began to pace, swiping at phantom tears that had yet to fall. Poe watched silently, until her eyes met his. She seemed to realize for the first time he was there. Slowly he approached her, concern evident in his brown eyes. He stood in front of her, touching her shoulder to steady her. Before he could speak, she collapsed into his arms, her entire body shaking with heart wrenching sobs. Poe had never seen her like this. Rey was always the strong one and hearing the emotional pain in her cries pierced his very soul. He guided them to a sitting position and held her tightly until her body stilled, her tears stopped and her sobs quieted. She was asleep.

Poe lifted his gaze as he heard BB-8 rolling towards them. BB-8 made a morose trill at Poe as his head swiveled towards Rey. "She'll be alright, BB-8. She'll be alright," he said to comfort not only the droid, but himself. Poe didn't move as he watched the embers of the fire smolder and the light of dawn begin to streak the sky. He loved this place, but as he watched Rey sleep, he realized that it was no longer home. His mother was gone and his father had died just prior to him joining the Resistance. There was nothing for him here now. Home was his Squadron. Home was the friends and comrades he fought for everyday. And home was the young woman, he held in his arms.

* * *

Seeing Thea say goodbye to their daughter and his nephew execute her was worse than any of the nightmares Luke Skywalker had had over the past fifteen years. All of his feelings of guilt and anger were back in full force. Now he knew the truth. Luke paused when he realized where he was. He found himself standing outside of the cavern where he had proposed to Thea all of those years ago. All he had left were memories of happier times.

"That's not true, Luke," a voice said responding to his unspoken thought. A blue glow shined through the night as Luke turned to face the ghost of his father, Anakin Skywalker.

"After all of this time, you come to me now," Luke responded, disgust in his voice.

"Luke, you haven't lost everything, not yet. Your daughter is here. She is alive and she needs you," Anakin stated trying to convince his son to stop with the lies.

"Were you there?" Luke asked quietly.

"Yes, I heard Thea's plea and I tried to honor it," Anakin replied solemnly.

"Why doesn't Rey have any memories of her?" Luke questioned.

"That was my doing. I placed a wall in her mind. I thought it would protect her," Anakin explained. "But Luke, she is remembering now. You broke through what I put in place. She will start putting the pieces together. You have to stop lying to her."

"I'm protecting her," he said as he glared at his father. "She's my daughter, not yours."

Anakin's specter stepped closer to his son. "Luke, I can feel the anger emanating from you. You must control it. And you must stop this Skywalker legacy of secrecy. The truth always comes to light and have you so easily forgotten the betrayal you felt when you realized that Obi Wan had manipulated the truth?"

"That was different," Luke said, his words ringing hollow even to him.

"Son, you must make a decision quickly or it might be made for you. Think about why you are really hiding this from her. Is it to protect her or yourself?" Anakin disappeared, leaving Luke alone with his thoughts and the haunting images of Rey's memories.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Sorry this one is short but this was the only stopping point that made sense. This chapter has been in my head for a long time but was difficult to get on paper. Please let me know what you think!


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

Luke Skywalker wasn't sure if he had been meditating for hours, days or weeks in the cold, dark cavern. His only companion was the constant trickle of water that flowed down the rock walls. He couldn't escape the image of Thea's execution or the sound of Rey's screams.

"Luke," a voice called, but he couldn't quite identify it. Cautiously he opened his eyes and found that he was no longer in the cavern. He could see a woman with blond hair turned away from him. When he looked down, his prosthetic hand was covered in synthetic flesh as it had been when he was younger. He lightly touched his face and felt smooth skin instead of the wrinkles that marked his many years of solitude. He saw the reflection of his younger self in a still pool of water illuminated by the light from one of Yavin's other moons. For a moment the image distracted him from the woman.

As he stared at the tranquil water, a hand rested on the sleeve of his robe. When he turned, he met the brown gaze of Thea Charaeysa. His words caught in his throat as he studied the details of her face. She appeared the same as she had when he last saw her. Cautiously he grazed her face with a trembling hand. "Are you really here or is this a dream?"

She smiled. "Does it really matter?" He knew she wasn't truly there. He was unsure whether this was a dream, a vision or some manifestation of the Force, but in that moment he didn't care. For as long as whatever this was lasted, she wasn't gone. He cupped her face with both hands and fervently pressed his lips to hers, not wanting to ever let her go. She placed her hands on his chest and gently pushed him back. "You know why I'm here. Luke, what happened to you?"

"What happened?" he asked incredulously. "What happened?" he repeated as he turned away from her concerned gaze. He couldn't bear to see the disappointment in her eyes. "I lost everything and it was all my fault."

Thea stepped closer, wrapping her arms around him from behind. "You know that's not true. You aren't responsible for the choices Ben made or his actions, but you are responsible for your own decisions. Luke, look at me."

Luke didn't move and shook his head. "I can't, Thea. It hurts too much." Thea released him and folded her arms in front of her, remaining silent. Luke stood with his back to her until he finally turned to see if she was still there.

"This isn't you. You don't give up. Do you hear me?" she said, her forehead crinkled and her voice stern. "You have not lost everything. The most important thing is right in front of you. Luke, you have her back. You couldn't change what happened to me or to her but you can change what is going to happen next. She needs you."

"She has me. I'm training her against my better judgment. I'll be there to watch over her as her master."

Thea threw her hands up in exasperation. "Do you hear yourself? She doesn't need a Jedi Master. She needs her father. You have the chance I didn't have. You can be there for her. She may be grown but she needs a parent. She needs her family. The truth always has a way of coming to the surface. She must hear it from you."

Gradually, Luke walked towards her and wrapped his arms around her. "I miss you."

Squeezing him tighter, she whispered, "I know. But you still have a purpose, Luke. Don't forget your promise."

Luke's eyes flew open and he was back in the cold, dank cavern, He could still feel the silkiness of Thea's golden locks against his cheek. He could smell her flowery perfume and his heart ached at the hollowness of knowing she was gone. Her words echoed through his mind. He knew that he finally had to face Rey. It was time that she knew the truth. He only hoped that she could find it in her heart to forgive him.

* * *

Poe's breath caught as he hiked towards his childhood home with Rey following behind. A sense of sadness welled within in him as he realized this was the first time he had returned since burying his father nearly six years ago. After Rey's breakdown, Luke Skywalker had disappeared. He had been gone three days. Poe, Rey and Wedge had decided to trek to Poe's family home as they waited for the Jedi's return and for word from Leia about the Resistance's new base of operations.

As soon as they arrived, Wedge disappeared into the jungle in search of signs of Luke. Rey remained outside in the clearing as Poe entered his former home alone. She knew what it was like to be haunted by the past, so she waited patiently as he vanished through the doorway.

Tentatively, Poe walked into the dwelling and ran his fingers lightly along the wall. Everything was frozen in time, exactly as he remembered it but it lacked the warmth that was once there. It wasn't home because his mother and father were long gone. Now it was empty walls and meaningless things filling a space. Poe didn't realize how long he had been inside until he exited into darkness. He saw Rey seated next to a fire, tinkering with some spare part she had found. She lifted her head and watched as he seated himself next to her, absentmindedly tracing patterns with his finger in the dirt.

Rey grasped his hand, stilling its movements. "So this was your home?"

Silently, Poe nodded his head in affirmation. When Poe didn't speak, Rey continued. "It must be strange coming back here. I don't know how I would feel returning to Jakku or wherever I came from before that."

Poe dragged his hand through the dirt, brushing away the pattern and then wiped his hand on his flight suit. "I've made my peace with it. My parents were wonderful and I will always miss them but I have my memories and the legacy they left behind. Home isn't a building or a planet. It's where you have family. You know that don't you, Rey? No matter what you saw in your vision or what you learn about your past, you already have family."

Looking up, she gave Poe a sad but hopeful smile "I know. Now let's not talk about me. Let's talk about you. Tell me about growing up here."

"Why don't we talk about both?" he asked a smile reaching his eyes. Rey crinkled her brow in puzzlement. "This is where your mother stayed when she visited," he said pointing behind them.

Rey took a deep breath. "What was she like? What do you remember about her?" Rey waited quietly for Poe to continue, desperate to hear happy memories of her mother. She wanted Thea to be more than her tragic death in her mind.

Reaching out, Poe lightly tugged Rey's ponytail and let it fall back to her shoulder. "For the short time she was with us, it was almost like having my mother again." Rey took in his words and couldn't help a twinge of jealously, knowing Poe had such fond memories of a woman who was a mere shadow to her. "She was kind to a child that was still grieving the loss of his mother. She seemed sad and yet she took time to listen to me. I was struggling, still missing her, and I saw how my father still mourned her. I couldn't talk to him because I didn't want to cause him any more pain. Thea taught me about X-wings and in the process gave me permission to grieve for my mother."

"She sounds like she was a special person in your life," Rey said softly.

"She was. She was only here a short time but she left a lasting impression. That's why I know she'd be proud of you Rey. You're cut from the same cloth. You're both caring, brave, strong . . . ." Poe trailed off as his eyes met hers and they both stared at each other silently. Poe suddenly cleared his throat and stood abruptly. "Wait here," he demanded as he ran towards the house.

Confused, Rey remained unmoving as she waited for his return, her heart pounding in her chest. Poe returned swiftly, a boyish grin on his face as his elation reached his eyes. He plopped back down next to Rey and opened his hand to reveal a silver bracelet. "I wasn't sure it would still be where I left it all of those years ago." Rey raised her eyebrow, staying silent. "This was your mother's," he said responding to her silent question. Rey took the bracelet from his open palm and carefully turned it over in her hand, inspecting it closely in the firelight. "I'm sorry I can't tell you much about it. I found Thea crying one morning and asked what was wrong. She said that it wasn't anything for me to worry about, but the bracelet was sitting in front of her. She said that it was something special to her but it made her sad. I told her that she should throw it away, but she told me she couldn't. I took it and hid it under a loose floorboard and told her I would keep it safe until she wanted it back."

"Poe, do you realize what this is?" she said in a whisper. Poe waited for her to continue. "This is a wedding circlet. My father must have given it to her." Rey smiled as she spoke the words and Poe felt like his heart was going to explode. All he had seen on her face lately was pain and sadness.

As Rey looked at Poe's face, a realization struck her. All of this time, he had never left her side. Poe had been there for her every step of the way in her journey to self-discovery and had never asked for anything in return. He was her rock, her friend, her confidant and something more. Gingerly, she touched his face and leaned forward. Softly she pressed her lips against his and he tentatively moved closer, slowly deepening the kiss.

Both sprung apart when they heard a coughing noise and the crunch of boots. Wedge approached the fire and sat down on the opposite side. "No signs of Luke," he declared, giving Poe a wary look. "But Leia has made contact and we have orders as soon as he surfaces."

A/N: Thanks to everyone who took the time to review and to any new followers. This is another short one but as you can see, we are getting closer and closer to a certain conversation.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

Quietly, Rey sat up and stretched her arms. She hadn't slept for more than a couple of hours after Wedge returned. She looked to her right and saw Poe sprawled next to her. His breathing was even indicating he was still sleeping soundly. Before she realized what she was doing, she reached out to move a curly lock of his hair away from his eyes. She tucked his sleeping bag closer around him and then walked towards the still burning fire.

Rey sat cross-legged in front of the embers, holding her hands to the fire to warm them against the night chill. Wedge watched her across the flickering firelight, waiting to see if she would speak. "Our conversation all of those weeks ago about my mother was interrupted.

"Yes, it was," he responded, giving her a friendly smile. "What do you want to know, Rey?"

Feeling bold, Rey barreled ahead with her inquisition. "How close were you and my mother?"

"I told you how we met. After that, we were close friends and comrades," Wedge explained.

"Did it ever go past friendship?" Rey asked, quirking her eyebrow at the former general and studying his expression. Wedge began to chuckle. "I don't think this is funny at all."

"If your mother were here, she would think it was very funny. Rey, if you're asking if your mother and I were ever romantically involved, the answer is no. She was like a sister to me." Rey wasn't sure how to feel about his revelation. If he had answered affirmatively, then she would have likely found her father.

"If you were that close, then who is my father?" Rey pressed him. Wedge stood abruptly and walked away from the fire, but Rey refused to let him escape again. She placed a hand on his arm, stilling his progress.

"Rey, your mom never told me who your father was," he stated quietly.

"Why is everyone lying to me? You expect me to believe that? Poe had her wedding circlet. She was married! And you expect me to believe that you don't know," she said in a harsh whisper, trying not to wake Poe.

"Rey, you have to understand, your mom was a very private person. She was involved with someone for a long time, but things didn't end well. She left her position with the New Republic. I didn't see her for several months and when I found her, she was pregnant." Rey paused, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. None of this made sense.

"And you didn't ask about my father?" she asked incredulously. Before Wedge could answer, both turned to the crunching of boots. Luke Skywalker appeared from the jungle. Rey didn't think it possible, but he looked wearier than he had when she first met him on Ach-To.

Luke's eyes flashed to the bracelet on Rey's wrist. For a second, she thought she saw a pained expression flit across the Jedi Master's face. "Luke, where have you been?" Wedge asked insistently. All three turned as Poe approached, rubbing sleep from his eyes and warily eyeing the trio. "The Resistance is on the move. Leia contacted us and we need to rendezvous. Things are escalating."

"You and Poe will return Wedge, but Rey and I have some things we need to take care of before we return." Wedge let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as he listened to Luke's pronouncement. All he could think of was that this was finally it. The lying was about to come to an end. "Rey, pack your things. Poe, Wedge, we'll drop you where you can acquire a ship to meet up with Leia. Rey and I need to take this journey alone."

* * *

 _Rey yawned as Luke carried her to the waiting freighter in the early morning light. Thea trailed behind, a bag slung across her shoulder. Carefully, Luke crouched down, placing Rey on her feet as he knelt beside her. Thea walked up the ramp to meet Ben, giving the two a private moment. "Luke, where are we going?" Rey asked as she blinked her brown eyes at the Jedi Master._

 _Luke brushed Rey's unruly hair from her eyes and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "You are going on a great adventure," he responded brightly, trying to hide that his heart was breaking._

 _"Really? You're coming aren't you?" Rey asked innocently, tugging on his hand._

 _"I can't, Rey. I have to stay with the other students," he said as he continued to hold the little girl's hand tightly._

 _"Then I want to stay here," Rey declared, putting her hands on her hips and planting her feet._

 _"Rey, you have to go with your mom. I need you to watch over her for me," he said trying to reason with the five-year old._

 _"But I want you to come too," she said pouting as tears welled in her eyes._

 _"Rey, come here," Luke said as he opened his arms and she ran to him. He wrapped her in a tight embrace. "This isn't forever. I'll see you soon, Sweetheart. I just need you to be brave for me. This will be fun and then when I come and meet you, you can tell me all about the adventures you had with your mom and Ben."_

 _"You promise you'll come for me?" she asked, as a tear escaped her eye._

 _Luke wiped her face with the sleeve of his robe. "I promise, Rey. I'll always be here for you. Don't ever doubt that. No matter where you are, I'll find you." Giving her one last hug, he ushered her onto the ship and gave Ben a silent nod. As he walked down the gangplank, he heard Thea's footsteps following him._

 _Thea and Luke positioned themselves behind a temple column and away from the curious eyes of their daughter and nephew. Luke lightly brushed her hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. She reached up, rubbing the wrinkle in his forehead. "Try not to worry too much," she said as he pulled her close._

 _"Sorry. I can't promise that," he said a sad smile on his face as he squeezed her tight. Thea pulled back slightly to meet his blue gaze._

 _"Luke, if something happens, I need you to promise me something." He gently placed his fingers over her lips to silence her._

 _"Nothing is going to happen," he said, holding her firmly. "Do you understand me? Nothing is going to happen. I'll be with you and Rey in a few weeks and everything will be fine," he stated adamantly, trying to convince himself as much as he tried to reassure her._

 _Thea reached up cupping his face. "Just promise me that no matter what happens, you won't give up. Luke, if something bad were to happen, don't let it change who you are. No matter what you think, you mean too much to this galaxy." Luke turned away, not able to face her as fear welled in his chest. They both remained silent until he turned sharply and pulled her against him, fervently pressing his lips to hers._

 _When they separated, she looked at him questioningly. "I promise," he responded as he tugged her close for one last embrace. The two didn't see Rey as she peaked around the corner, and then ran back to the ship smiling._

* * *

The journey to Scariff was a silent affair. Luke and Rey remained lost in their own thoughts, only exchanging words when absolutely necessary. Rey knew she was hurtling towards a revelation, but she still felt a twinge of pain leaving Poe behind. Luke had insisted that this was a trip they had to take alone. When they arrived, Luke left Rey on the ship and walked towards his abandoned academy. What was once a place full of potential and life, now stood as a tomb and testament of his personal failure. When Luke didn't immediately return, Rey strolled down the ramp of the Falcon and scanned the area. Her jaw dropped as she stared out at the ocean. Closing her eyes, she listened to the waves crashing. A sense of familiarity surrounded her.

Slowly, Rey walked towards the beach, stooping to pick up a smooth rock. Suddenly she saw a flash of her younger self on this very beach. She was laughing as she levitated stones and then sent them flying into the ocean waves. As quickly as the memory came, it was gone and Rey continued walking. Eventually, she stopped in front of the academy door. She reached to touch the smooth stone and traced a black scorch mark that marred the once pristine white. Cautiously she entered the silent tomb, her boots echoing as she walked down the corridor.

Rey ventured through halls, noting a training area and what appeared to be a cafeteria. She continued on, not sure what she sought. Finally, she reached a door and stood, contemplating whether she should go inside. She pressed the control and the door moved slightly, but did not open completely. Wedging herself in the opening, she pushed the door the rest of the way and paused. Her eyes gazed over the room that had clearly belonged to a child. Lovingly, she brushed her fingers over a model X-wing on a nightstand. She paused when she saw a small pilot doll resting on the bed as if the child who lived here had left it mere moments ago. It was almost identical to the one she had constructed on Jakku. Rey didn't turn as she heard Luke enter the room. "I know this place. I lived here, didn't I?" she asked as she turned to face him.

"Yes," he replied as she continued to circle the room.

"You loved my mother, didn't you?" she stated simply.

"Yes," he responded.

"Are you the reason I grew up without my father?" she pushed, memories starting to come back in pieces.

"Yes," he said quietly as he met her eyes.

"I'm tired of the games. He's alive isn't he? Where is he?" she questioned firmly, hands on hips as she waited for his response.

A/N: Thank so much for those of you that are still reading. Sorry it has been so long since the last post. I appreciate feedback so please review or send me a PM!


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or its characters.

Sitting on the nose of his X-wing, Poe stared up at the waning light of the Racillian sun. Try as he might, even reuniting with his squad and getting back into a routine could not shake his thoughts from a certain Scavenger. When he and Wedge returned to the Resistance, they were peppered with questions, especially from General Organa, who was the first to notice the absence of her brother. Another face in the crowd surprised Poe. Finn stood, looking slightly haggard, but grinning when his friend arrived. The smile, however, didn't last long when he noticed that Rey was conspicuously missing.

Poe glanced down when he heard BB-8 trill as a figure approached. Finn raised his hand in a wave and Poe jumped down from his perch to greet his friend. "How are you settling back in?" Finn asked the pilot.

"I should be asking you. I've only been gone a few weeks. You've been out of commission for months," Poe responded as he clapped Finn on the back.

"It's been a challenge," Finn laughed lightly. "There has definitely been a learning curve." Finn paused and looked down at his feet for a moment.

"Go on and ask me what you want to know," Poe stated simply as he gestured for Finn to take a seat on one of the crates opposite him.

"Poe, what's going on with Rey? Where is she?" he asked softly, concern etching his features.

Poe ran his hand through his messy curls and paused before answering. He wasn't sure how much to tell Finn. He knew that Rey trusted him and they were close, and yet Rey's journey to discovering her past was deeply personal. And if Poe was being honest, he liked that she confided in him. He felt a bit insecure with his place in Rey's life now that Finn was back. "I guess you heard that she found Luke Skywalker."

Finn nodded. "Yeah, I heard as much, but where are they now? Why didn't they come back with you and General Antilles?"

"Finn, Rey discovered some things about her past. She found her mother," Poe said, pausing to stress the gravity of the situation to his friend.

"What?" Finn said, leaping to his feet and grinning. "That's amazing! Is that where she is?"

Poe felt guilty being the one to douse Finn's infectious enthusiasm. "She's dead, Finn."

Finn's face fell as he sunk back into a seated position. The two didn't speak for several minutes, silence stretching. "She must've been devastated."

Poe shook his head. "Yeah, but you know how she is. She soldiers on. I was surprised she even let me see her cry." Finn gaped at Poe, wondering exactly how close the pilot and Rey had become during his convalescence.

"So where is she now?" Finn asked, pressing for more information.

"I'm not sure. Luke said that he and Rey had some unfinished business they needed to handle alone," Poe said, standing up and dusting off his flight suit.

"You don't think that they are going after Kylo Ren alone, do you?" Finn said as they walked towards the base.

"I don't think so. I think those two have some personal issues to sort out and don't need an audience." Poe left his remaining thoughts to himself. His memory of what transpired on Hoth had been fuzzy, but as time passed, bits and pieces began to surface. He could bring back fragments of a conversation between Luke and Ren and he distinctly remembered their subject being Rey. What he couldn't fathom was if he had heard Luke correctly. Had he called Rey his daughter?

* * *

Rey's jaw dropped as she surveyed the Jedi Master standing before her. She couldn't believe after all of this time that he had admitted his involvement with her mother. How could he have kept this from her? He had to have known who she was the moment she stepped off the Millennium Falcon on Ach-To. She tamped down the sense of betrayal, determined to get answers to her many questions. The key to her past had been mentoring her this entire time.

Studying his surroundings, as if realizing for the first time where he was, Luke briefly squeezed his eyes shut. For a moment, it was fifteen years ago and he was tucking his curious, energetic, innocent daughter into bed. Her mother was mere feet down the hallway, safely in her quarters waiting for him to return.

"Let's talk outside," he said simply, indicating for Rey to follow him. Once she had exited the room, Luke made a gesture with his hand, closing the door tightly. The click echoed down the deserted hallway.

Luke made several turns and then they were outside in the blinding light of Scariff's sun reflecting off the ocean waves. Luke did not slow until they reached the beach. He lowered himself to the sand and motioned for Rey to sit down. Rey hesitated as if standing gave her the advantage, but finally she acquiesced and seated herself next to Luke. She waited patiently until she couldn't bear the silence any longer. "Why didn't you tell me?" she questioned in a growl.

"I think I better start from the beginning," Luke responded, still staring at the waves.

Rey turned, glaring at Luke. "No, you don't get to control everything anymore. Where is my father? You know, don't you? It sent you reeling when her last words to me promised my father would find me. Why?" She stood abruptly, looking down on Luke Skywalker and waiting for an explanation.

Slowly, Luke stood feeling every one of his years and dusted the sand from his robes. "Rey, I'm going to tell you everything, but your past in complicated. Maybe I should have told you sooner, but I was trying to protect you. Please hear me out." Luke reached out with his last words, gently grasping her forearms. Rey nodded silently and Luke dropped his hands. He began walking down the beach and Rey kept pace beside him waiting for him to begin.

"I met you mother right after I joined the Rebellion. After the Battle of Yavin. I was immediately drawn to her. She was beautiful, smart, an amazing pilot and strategist. And she wanted nothing to do with me," he said a slight smile on his lips as he thought back to their early relationship. Rey studied his face but remained silent. "How much did you learn about her time in the Rebellion?"

"Not a lot. I know she was originally Black Leader but her squadron broke up after Yavin. She helped form Rogue Squadron and worked with General Rieekan," Rey stated.

"It sounds like you and Poe did some research." Rey raised her eyebrow at Luke. "I knew about your project."

"Of course you did," Rey muttered but Luke ignored her and continued his story.

"If you were studying Rogue Squadron, you know I was their first Commander." Rey nodded, waiting for him to continue. "Your mother was assigned to get me up to speed. I could fly but I knew nothing about military maneuvers or leading a squadron. We had a rough few months. She wasn't happy being grounded and I wasn't the most easygoing student. There were more than a few shouting matches in the hangar bay, but things started to change. We became close." Luke stopped and gazed at the water. He then bent down, picking up one of the smooth stones on the beach.

Rey studied him, remaining silent. "The Rebellion, much like the Resistance now was in constant motion. We were often moving in opposite directions, on different assignments. That continued even after the Battle of Endor. She was dedicated to the New Republic and I was researching the Jedi Order."

Rey reached out with the Force, flicking the stone from his hand and flinging it into the waves. Taking a deep breath, she tried to quell her frustration. Luke stopped and grabbed her wrist, holding it so that the silver bracelet winked in the sunlight. "Where did this come from?"

"Poe gave it to me. He said my mother left it on Yavin when she was pregnant with me," she responded, continuing to study his features. Luke dropped her wrist as if he had been stung.

"I'd forgotten she stayed with Kes and Poe," he said quietly, as if Rey wasn't there.

"You recognize it? Do you know where she got it?" Rey questioned.

"I gave it to her," Luke responded simply.

"But this is a wedding circlet," Rey stated, running her hand through her hair. Confusion tormented her mind as she struggled to fit together the nonlinear pieces of her past.

"I know very well what it is, Rey. Your mother and I were married a few years after Endor," he explained. Rey remained silent waiting for him to explain. "We kept our relationship secret from everyone, even friends and family."

"Why?" she asked quietly, still unsure as to how her Jedi Master fit into this equation.

"After Yavin, I had a very large price on my head, Rey. I was target number one for Imperials, Imperial sympathizers and bounty hunters. Even after Endor, I was a wanted man in many circles, leaving anyone close to me in considerably higher danger. Your mother was still traveling in volatile areas of the galaxy with General Rieekan. I didn't want her to have a bigger target on her back because of her relationship with me," he explained.

"So what happened between you two because I've been getting flashes since you helped me remember her death. And one thing I'm clear about is that I have no memories of you until I was five," she responded firmly as they continued their journey down the beach.

Luke breathed in, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Your mother and I had been married for about three years when I took my nephew, Ben as a padawan learner. He was nine."

Rey bit her lip hard, and clenched her teeth. "Kylo Ren."

"Yes, but back then he was Ben, my young nephew. I didn't realize what a turning point this all would be. Ben and I were on Lothal. I had found a Jedi temple there and we were trying to access its archives. I didn't realize we had been lured there by a dark side user. We were ambushed and he kidnapped Ben. I was able to find him but a fight ensued. I almost died on Lothal and Ben's kidnapper escaped. During the course of the fight, he made a threat—one I didn't fully comprehend the gravity of until years later." Luke paused, gathering his thoughts before he continued.

"Who was the dark side user?" Rey asked, fearing she knew the answer.

"I didn't learn until many years later but the First Order calls him Supreme Leader Snoke," he proclaimed.

Even in the warm Scariff sun, Rey shivered. "And his threat?"

"He threatened to destroy everyone I loved," Luke said as they stopped to face each other.

"And that's when you left her," Rey finished.

"Yes," Luke said solemnly, studying Rey's expression. "I didn't see her again for a little over five years."

"When I found you in the Jedi temple on Coruscant," Rey continued.

"Yes. You remember?" Luke questioned, surprise reaching his eyes.

"Bits and pieces. I came here to stay with you. You started training me. Is that why I could resist Kylo Ren?" she asked, realization dawning.

"Yes. I suspect so," he replied, waiting for her next question.

"So between the time you left her and when I found you in the temple, she must have moved on with someone else. Did she confide in you when you saw her again?" Rey began biting her nails, her anxiety reaching its peak. She couldn't be this close and not have that last piece. Luke had loved her mother. Surely he knew her father's identity.

"There wasn't anyone else, Rey," he said in almost a whisper.

Rey furrowed her brow in confusion. "There had to have been. You said you didn't see her for over five years . . . ." Rey's voice trailed off as her jaw dropped.

"I didn't know she was pregnant when I left her on Lothal," Luke stated as he watched emotions war on his daughter's face.

"But . . . but" Rey sputtered hardly able to form a coherent thought much less put those thoughts into words. She felt tears well in her eyes and hated her body for betraying her emotions. She viciously swiped at her eyes as the tears began to streak her face. "It doesn't make sense. She hid me from you?"

"Rey, she thought she was protecting you. I did an excellent job of terrifying your mother about the threat Snoke posed. She knew that if she was a target, you would be an even greater one," he explained, defending his wife.

"But I have no memory of ever knowing you as my father. Why would I not?" she questioned as she attempted to choke back sobs.

"We never got the chance to tell you. Rey, after you came to stay on Scariff, Snoke resurfaced with his followers. We knew very little about him at the time, but he sent a very specific threat aimed at you. Your mother and I decided that it was safer for you not to know. That's when your mother took you and ran. I was to meet up with you in a few weeks after I secured the academy but then I got word you both were dead . . . ." he trailed off.

Rey's sorrow suddenly turned to anger. "I remember. You sent him with us! You were the reason we were at Kylo Ren's mercy. You were a Jedi Master. How could you not have not known what he was? You got her killed," she screamed as she balled her fists and beat on his chest. Luke stood helpless taking his daughter's assault as he listened to her vocalize the thoughts that had haunted him for years. Suddenly the pounding stopped and he felt her wrap her arms around him as she cried into his shoulder.

Softly he stroked her hair and whispered into her ear. "I'm sorry Rey. I'm so sorry. You're right. It was my fault. I should have known." Slowly, Luke and Rey sank to the sand and he held her tightly as she continued to sob. They sat unmoving for hours, until the sun sank, the sky darkened and all they could see were the stars.

A/N: Well, I hope that was the chapter you've been waiting on. Special thanks to my always loyal reviewers—Fern H., PrincessStarberry and Charmfeather. You all are awesome and the reason this update got posted tonight. I can't thank you enough for taking the time to post your thoughts on each chapter. Hope you enjoyed this one and don't worry, there is more Luke and Rey ahead. They have more things to talk about. As always, reviews and PMs are appreciated!


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